Page 1899 - Week 05 - Thursday, 16 May 2019
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
Confucius has been credited as saying “if you are the smartest person in the room, then you are in the wrong room”. While this quote does not stand up in all circumstances, for example a kindergarten teacher teaching their class should be the smartest person in the room it does have great meaning when applied to the context of work experience. At every point in a work experience placement there are opportunities to learn and discover more. The onus is on the young person to seek out these opportunities and grasp onto them, this is true also in the world outside of the school. If you see an opportunity for success or progress it is not simply given to you, things must be worked for and work experience teaches these qualities. Learning from people who have done so many impressive things both inside and outside the chamber is inspiring.
Work experience is an integral part of entering the work place and has been a consistently positive experience for students and young people who take part in it. Without work experience someone entering the work place for the first time is more likely to be unprepared and not ready for the office environment. Work experience creates more confident and competent workers that are ready to hit the ground running with previously gained knowledge and experience.
I compliment Michael Cooney on this speech. I came in this morning and said, “I can’t use the stuff on small business that you prepared for me. Can you write me an adjournment speech?” This was done in less than two hours, and I think he has a future in speechwriting as well. I compliment and thank Michael. I thank Canberra College for allowing his participation and I thank the Assembly education staff for the work they do in facilitating work experience in the Assembly.
Sporting facilities
MR MILLIGAN (Yerrabi) (6.53): I am compelled to speak today because of the feedback I have received about the lack of sport and recreation facilities in our community. I could list many areas, but today I want to highlight the endless government reviews that just do not deliver. The 80s pop song Mirror Man comes to mind when I think of Barr-Labor government—I will say the words rather than sing them:
Here comes the mirror man
Says he’s a people fan
If Mr Barr and his supporting ensemble want to claim they are supporters of our community, where is the indoor sports feasibility study they have promised since 2016? The process of reviewing, reflecting and never actually doing anything is starting to wear very, very, thin. We are all familiar with the tale of the ice rink. We were promised construction would commence within this term. Well, it took two years for the study to be released and now the clock is ticking.
Even more distant for the sporting community of Canberra are projects such as a new or upgraded stadium, a replacement dive pool, female change rooms, ovals for booming sports like soccer, the relocation of lawn bowls from Braddon to Gungahlin, and, of course, a broken election promise of a sports and recreation facility for Casey. Let’s not forget the shortage of indoor spaces for a broad range of sport and recreation across the territory including, again, Gungahlin. I could go on.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video