Page 3308 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 21 August 2019
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We as an Assembly must act to protect these integral places in our territory. By acting in such a way, as my motion calls for, we would be sending a strong message to vegan vandals that their behaviour is simply not acceptable; there is an expectation in the ACT population that such behaviour will not be tolerated and that those businesses should be able operate under the protection of the law, as they rightly deserve.
I urge members of the government to support this motion and to support those who are investing in our community through these businesses—by creating jobs and providing significant taxation revenue to the territory through the great work that they do—by offering them the protection of the law that they so rightly deserve.
MR RAMSAY (Ginninderra—Attorney-General, Minister for the Arts and Cultural Events, Minister for Building Quality Improvement, Minister for Business and Regulatory Services, Minister for Government Services and Procurement and Minister for Seniors and Veterans) (5.16): For all of the complaints that we regularly hear in this particular chamber, especially from those opposite, about what is debated, what should not be debated in this place and how important it is for a matter to have strong connections with the ACT, we should be very clear that today’s motion by Mr Wall is not about the needs of Canberrans. That is not what it is fundamentally about. What we have here is a motion that is representing a signal by Mr Wall and those opposite to their federal leadership.
As Mr Wall has made clear in his speech, as he says how great the federal conservative government is, this is a way for the Canberra Liberals to let their friends up on the hill know that they do not have to be too upset about the overwhelming rejection of their Liberal Party in the ACT in May. There are, indeed, some politicians that are still around who can voice reactionary, conservative views.
There is no doubt that the federal Liberal Party can rely on the Liberal members in this chamber, as they are the most conservative branch in the country. When they need voices to oppose marriage equality, where do they look? They look to the people in this chamber. When they needed support for rolling back discrimination laws, members opposite were very happy to add their voice to that. And when, today, they need voices to scare hardworking farmers, they can shore up the Liberal-Nationals coalition; the Canberra Liberals will come to the party yet again.
This government is focused on the needs of Canberrans. Voters here have made it abundantly clear that they have no time for the federal Liberal politics of division and fear. This government will oppose today’s efforts to make the Assembly into a forum for the conservative Liberal-Nationals agenda. When this debate is over today, and hopefully it will be over soon, we can get right back to the business of supporting Canberrans.
I can say, on behalf of the ACT government, that we recognise the right of people to protest in support of their political views. And when anyone’s activity, a protest or not—
Mr Wall interjecting—
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