Page 853 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 20 March 2019
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our city. So there is a real flow-on impact of these decisions on our economy, and that has a real and measurable impact for small business and for our city’s economy overall. A change in policy direction at the federal level will be very significant, should there be a change of government following the impending federal election. This is something that many of us here look forward to—a change of federal government—because it will make a big difference to the city of Canberra.
Ms Cheyne’s motion also, importantly, focuses on the efforts the ACT government has undertaken in recent times to not only support the distribution of employment throughout our city but also attract new industries and see the creation of new jobs in those industries in the ACT. I talked today in question time about the space industry being but one example of where we are continuing our efforts to strengthen and diversify the territory economy.
We recognise that we need a more diverse economy to protect Canberrans from the periodic threat of federal coalition governments and their disdain for this city. It is an inevitable fact in our democracy that from time to time the conservative parties will govern our country, and it is clear from recent history, certainly in living memory, that their approach whilst they are in government at a federal level has been to attack Canberra. That is part of their DNA.
Some are more brazen about that than others, and I identify the National Party as being even more culpable than the Liberal Party, but the Liberal Party is the big brother or the big sister in that relationship. Actually, let’s face it: it is the big brother because there are not many female members of the Liberal Party at a federal level. They have a responsibility; they have elected members in that federal party room from this city. Undoubtedly it is a big responsibility on whoever holds the position of ACT Liberal Senator to advocate for this city, but the track record in recent times has not been particularly good. Gary Humphries did a better job at standing up for Canberra than Zed Seselja has. That is very clear.
Importantly, we look to continue our work at a territory level to diversify the territory economy and to see a further diversification of employment location within the ACT. We take seriously our responsibilities as the territory government in terms of the location of our own employment. That is why in recent times there have been deliberate decisions to locate more ACT government employment in the Gungahlin and Woden town centres, and in Dickson, in order to diversify the mix of ACT government employment throughout the city and to ensure that emerging town centres or renewing town centres have an opportunity to have their growth and renewal kicked along by active decisions of the territory government.
The bulk of our employment, in sheer numbers, is in the Woden area, given the significant amount of employment at the Canberra Hospital, plus the recent decision to locate ACT Health staff in Woden. That means that, of all of the regions within the ACT, Woden has the greatest concentration of ACT government employment. But we do, of course, employ people in every part of this city. That is an important contribution we can make to a polycentric employment base for Canberra but also one that supports local communities and local service delivery.
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