Page 78 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 13 February 2018
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We are building the infrastructure and expanding the services needed to make a growing Canberra even better. We are rising to the challenges created by Canberra’s growth in our city’s second century, but it is important that we protect the fundamental elements of Canberra that people love: our lifestyle, our natural environment, our inclusiveness and, I think critically, our progressive approach to social issues.
Canberrans are among Australia’s most active, we have more patent applications per capita than any other city, and our residents volunteer their time more than those in any other Australian city. In summary, I think we are proud to be Canberrans and we are working hard to make it better for all residents.
Through 2018 the ACT government will continue to promote Canberra to the world. As I have outlined, we will continue to work to secure more international flights and better and cheaper connections, both aviation and land transport, to other Australian cities. With Lonely Planet recognising that Canberra is in the top three cities to visit in the world in 2018, now is a very significant opportunity for us to harness this global exposure.
The ACT government is actively repositioning Canberra as an emerging global city, whilst maintaining a focus on implementing nation-leading progressive policies. As I have mentioned, our economy is performing very strongly. Last year employment grew in the territory by 4.6 per cent. I think that a 4.6 per cent growth rate is worth mentioning again in the context of what has been the 10-year average growth rate of 1.4 per cent. So there are now more Canberrans working than ever before; 10,000 new jobs created in a single year is the strongest year of job creation in more than a decade.
The jobs are coming in sectors that fit our strengths as a city: in education and training, in health care, in the energy sector and in information and communication technology. Pleasingly, 80 per cent of these positions were full-time. I am old enough to remember, Madam Assistant Speaker, that it was not that long ago young people simply had to leave Canberra as soon as they could to further their careers. In fact, most of the people I went to school with had to do that. Fortunately, those times have now gone.
From Macgregor to Manuka, from Casey to Calwell, young people are able to forge their own careers in this city, to become leaders in their field of work, right here in Canberra. Whether that is in creative industries, in hospitality, in research and development or within our thriving care sectors, they are staying here because Canberra has the opportunities, but importantly also the lifestyle that they desire. There is no doubt that this youthful positivity is spreading right across our city.
The government has achieved these outcomes whilst balancing the territory budget, continuing to invest in transport and social services, and implementing a long-overdue progressive taxation reform agenda at the state and territory level to ensure a fairer distribution of the tax contribution.
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