Page 1527 - Week 06 - Thursday, 2 July 2020
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MISS C BURCH (Kurrajong) (3.50): I thank Mr Gupta for bringing this motion forward today. The Canberra Liberals will also be supporting this motion. Here in the ACT we have been extremely fortunate to have so far avoided the significant health impacts felt by other jurisdictions over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a testament to the hard work of Canberrans across the territory, who have done and continue to do the right thing by each other in following health guidelines and staying safe. This is also testament to our ACT and commonwealth public servants who have worked tirelessly to navigate through this crisis whilst facing upheaval of their own working conditions.
Over the last five months our public servants have had it tough, responding to a health and economic crisis that no-one could have predicted. This feat alone deserves the utmost praise. However, when you consider that this was accomplished during a period of massive workforce change in moving to work from home arrangements, it makes this accomplishment even more incredible. The professionalism, dedication and tireless effort of our public servants in responding to this crisis, working round the clock to support Canberrans and keep them informed, has been remarkable.
I would also like to take a moment to acknowledge our frontline public servants who have continued to provide the basic and vital services that Canberrans rely on. These are the Canberrans who were not given the choice to work from home but simply and selflessly continued to show up to work despite the risks. From our bus drivers to our nurses and other healthcare professionals, our staff at Access Canberra and our emergency services personnel, the dedication that they have shown to their jobs during this difficult time deserves the highest praise. Our frontline staff have kept our transport network moving for those who continue to travel on our buses and our light rail to get around Canberra, and our nurses and doctors have kept Canberrans safe and healthy. When the going got tough, our frontline workers stepped up and have continued to show great leadership through their service to our community.
Some economists have described this shift to working from home as the biggest workforce change since World War II, and the potential longer term implications of this shift should not be understated. This has not just affected our public servants; we have seen huge shifts for people in our private sector workforce as well. They must also be applauded for their agility and innovation in responding to this crisis, adapting to the new conditions and complying with the health and safety advice as it rapidly evolved.
Businesses of all sizes have had to innovate their own practices and transition to new working arrangements at a moment’s notice. In industries where working from home is simply not possible, we have seen, firsthand, the responsiveness of many Canberra businesses to this new normal. The transition to working from home and flexible working arrangements has been extremely positive for many Canberrans. A national survey undertaken by Catalyst found that two in five Australians have enjoyed the lockdown arrangements, as it has allowed them to spend more quality time with their families and invest in their own emotional wellbeing.
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