Page 3373 - Week 11 - Thursday, 11 November 2021
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amendments. From my perspective as shadow minister for jobs, this is a very important motion. As Ms Castley has rightly mentioned, the night-time economy creates tens of thousands of jobs in the ACT community. This community fosters creativity, and creativity is a vital part of any culture and leads to innovation and entrepreneurship.
In a recent op ed piece in the Canberra Times, Professor Michael Dockery of Curtin University said:
… building—and supporting—a creative workforce is central to our economic future.
He was speaking of the Australian economy, but it applies equally here in Canberra.
The other thing that is worth mentioning is that the business community are coming out of a period of restriction where their normal activities have been hindered under public health orders. It is not for me to speak to the merits of that, but I will speak to the merits of assisting the business community in Canberra to recover from this COVID outbreak. Ms Castley has proposed specific measures that are targeted to help that recovery, and it is most disappointing to see the government move against such practical measures.
The proposal is for ACT government parking in all town centres to be free after 6 pm and to be free on weekends until 22 March 2022, and for all public transport to be free after 6 pm and on weekends until March 2022. These are practical measures designed to help the ACT business community, particularly the night-time economy, recover from the recent restrictions. What possible argument could there be against practical measures to achieve that outcome, to assist with their journey back into normality?
We have from Mr Steel a very uninspiring amendment—for example, to continue working with businesses. Well, that is a new idea, isn’t it! I would like to reflect on the minister for business’s refusal to support the establishment of a small business advisory council. How helpful that would have been during the COVID lockdown. How helpful it would be for the minister for business to listen to small business in the ACT.
I remember one of the most famous answers of all as to why she would not support this small business advisory council: why would we burden small business with having to be on a council to speak to government? That is one of the greatest lines I have heard in this place since being elected. It is a wonder the minister has not shut down all advisory councils that speak to government, because it must be such a burden for them to have that opportunity! That was disgraceful. If that council had been in place earlier this year, maybe things could have been managed a little differently, and maybe we would have had some practical outcomes and recommendations to support the community to recover from the COVID outbreak. It is a disgrace.
Here we have an opportunity for some repair to obvious poor business policy. This motion provides some practical things that will assist this community. What do we
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