From my Desk
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege to be pre-selected once more to run again in the October Territory election. I want to thank everyone in the Yerrabi Liberal Branch for their ongoing support, and for electing me as a candidate once again. 2024 is the year for change, this Government is tired and out of touch, we need a change, and I am ready for the fight. If you are interested in joining my team or helping volunteer, this year please reach out by responding to this email. We will need feet on the ground this year to get our message out, and your help will be greatly appreciated.
Out and About
The office has been back in full swing for a few weeks now, and we have a few things to report on. Illegal dumping has been on the rise, over the Christmas period and well into this year. I have written to the Government and submitted multiple questions on notice, asking the Government what they are doing to combat this issue plaguing our suburbs. If there is any dumping in your local area let me know! I had the privilege of visiting Gunners Place, the new Gungahlin youth and community centre on Gribble Street. I met with Sean and we spoke about some of the challenges our youth are facing and how this will be a great space for young people to drop into. If there are any issues in your local area that you would like to raise, please reply to this email and let me know how I can help.
Community BBQ
This weekend I am holding a community BBQ in Amaroo! If you’re free or in the area, pop down for a BBQ and a chat.
Portfolio
You may recall that at the end of last year, there was a Liberal cabinet reshuffle and I picked up two more shadow portfolios, Police and Indigenous Affairs. These had previously been held by Jeremy Hanson and Elizabeth Kikkert respectively, so I will be building on the excellent work they did, especially when it comes to developing policies and initiatives for the upcoming election.
On police matters, you would no doubt have heard about the police station in Civic having most of the staff moved out, as the building is no longer ‘fit for purpose’. I questioned Mr Gentleman in the Assembly about this matter. It transpires from his responses and the matter as reported in the Canberra Times that this is not a new matter. The Civic station, like the Gungahlin JESC has been unsuitable for the use to which they have been put for many years now. Not only does the ACT continue to have the lowest number of police per capita in the country but our hardworking police officers are not provided with adequate accommodation to be able to do their work, keeping us safe.
For the last four years, I have been calling on this government to do something about the Gungahlin JESC. Our hardworking police deserve to be supported by the government and it is disappointing they are not receiving that support from this Police Minister who continues to fail in his portfolio.
It is also reporting season when the Federal Productivity Commission reports on all government services across Australia. It’s a bit like an annual report card on how the ACT government is tracking in the delivery of services to people in Canberra. The news is not good, as expected. As mentioned above, the ACT continues to have the lowest number of police per capita in the country. The ACT also has the highest rate of Indigenous incarceration rates and the worst recidivism rates, yet the Act spends more on its prison than any other jurisdiction in Australia. There is something very wrong with the way our prison is operated.
Whilst in our fire services, the ACT continues to have the highest attrition rates in Australia. We know, from last year’s Walker Report, that it is due to the toxic work culture that pervades in the Emergency Services Agency. I could go on, but there are significant failures across all the portfolio areas. This government is out of touch and out of ideas.
I am looking forward to October, when the elections will be held, as your representative in Yerrabi, I look forward to making a difference and continuing to fight for the people of the ACT across all these areas.
I’d be interested to know what area you would like a Canberra Liberals government to tackle first!
Rotary Clubs of the ACT Emergency Services Community Awards
(Contributor: Angus McDonald)
ACT Rotary Clubs will formally launch the 2024 Rotary Emergency Services Community Awards (RESCA) on Friday 1 March 2024. This is the seventh year that the awards have been held in the ACT. Rotary in NSW and Victoria will launch their 2024 awards on the same day. The Awards are designed to recognise our emergency service personnel whom have gone “above and beyond” their call of duty and reflected the Rotary motto of “Service above Self”. These are the unsung heroes who are often “quiet achievers”, never asking for recognition but making a significant difference in the community. RESCA is a community nominated Award, therefore it is based on the reputation of the personnel from their local communities viewpoint.
Nominations for 2024 will open on 1 March 2024 and close on 31 May 2024. Each year there are up to 12 finalists – one in a paid position and one a volunteer in each service. The participating emergency services are as follows: ACT Fire and Rescue ServiceACT State Emergency ServiceACT Ambulance ServiceACT Rural Fire ServiceACT Policing All support staff for the above services are also eligible for the awards. Two major winners will be announced at the Awards Dinner, held at the Hellenic Club, Woden, on Friday 9 August 2024.Rotary Emergency Service Officer of the Year Serving in a Voluntary Capacity.
Rotary Emergency Service Officer of the Year Serving in a Paid Capacity. Further details on the awards can be found on the ACT RESCA website.
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