Page 4315 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 25 October 2017
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We will continue to implement policies that are socially inclusive. We will be Australia’s most LGBTIQ friendly city. We will be at the forefront of social policy implementation, whether that is the rollout of the NDIS or the new carer strategy being developed.
We will continue to invest in public and community housing and transform our city’s ageing public housing stock. We will continue to invest in new and better transport infrastructure. We will continue to invest in digital technology and service provision change, because we know this city can lead this nation and in many areas we can be international leaders. This is continuing to be recognised nationally and internationally, by the Productivity Commission recently on tax reform and by Lonely Planet recently on our tourism and hospitality sector.
We will engage productively in national debates on things like marriage equality and we will continue to be at the forefront of inclusion. Canberra is home to the happiest, healthiest, longest living Australians. We have the highest education levels in the country and there is no wonder that this is the best city in the world to live in. Ms Cody’s motion today reflects that and it reflects the good work of this government. That contrasts with the carping negativity of those opposite, who can barely bring themselves to say one positive thing about this city. It explains a lot about why they are in opposition. There is so much that is positive happening in Canberra, and today is another example of that, through Lonely Planet’s recognition of our city.
That recognition is a tribute to the hard work of thousands of people in our tourism and hospitality sectors finally getting the recognition they deserve. It has been a great honour and a wonderful partnership to work with that industry as tourism minister now for 11 years. When I took over that portfolio in 2006 we set about a process of change and reform to change Canberra’s image. Today we have gone a long way to achieving that. Of course, there is still more to do; there always is, in any area of government. No job is ever complete. No project is ever perfectly implemented. There is always the time and the opportunity to do more and to do better.
But today let us celebrate a fantastic achievement for our city. Let us celebrate all the great successes—the achievements of Canberrans locally, nationally and internationally. It is a wonderful opportunity today to do so. I thank Ms Cody for bringing this motion forward. I know we will continue to have carping negativity from those opposite, but we will stay the course. We will implement the policies we took to the last election and the 2012 election, and we will continue to be relentlessly positive about Canberra and our city’s future. It is a city of brilliant possibilities, and we are implementing the policies that will allow Canberra to continue to grow, to continue to prosper and to continue to be the best city in the world to live in. I thank Ms Cody for her motion today.
Debate interrupted in accordance with standing order 74 and the resumption of the debate made an order of the day for a later hour.
Sitting suspended from 12.28 to 2.30 pm.
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