Page 1616 - Week 05 - Thursday, 2 June 2022
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This is an absolute slap in the face to not only the Canberrans that are in the public gallery right now and those that are watching this debate online but the thousands and thousands of Canberrans that are affected. Despite the well-rehearsed talking points that have been prepared for Mr Rattenbury by the directorate, there is still no acknowledgement that this is a significant, serious, life-threatening issue and that we are talking about people’s homes. We are talking about people’s homes, and there is no acknowledgement of that.
We will not be supporting this amendment. It is not good enough, years and years down the track, for this Labor-Greens government to say, “Yep, we’ll publish it when we’re ready to.” That is nowhere near good enough. It is not good enough to come into this chamber and to start his remarks by being all high and mighty and telling me that I cannot help making a personal attack. I know that Mr Rattenbury has not had the privilege of being in opposition. At least Ms Stephen-Smith understands what the opposition’s role is; it is to hold the government to account. If I cannot make any comments about the woeful, inadequate performance of a minister in her portfolio, what am I meant to talk about? This is ridiculous. It is absolutely ridiculous for Mr Rattenbury to fake outrage that I have made personal, offensive remarks when I have spoken very much about the minister’s performance as a minister looking after this portfolio.
If Mr Rattenbury wants to talk about personal, offensive comments, where was he when his colleagues stood there and called me a right-wing puppet, a puppet of Zed Seselja? I faced personal, deeply offensive comments that, despite being a woman of colour who has worked extremely hard to overcome many barriers to be the leader of a party, I am the puppet of a white man. How offensive is that? Where was Mr Rattenbury when those comments were being thrown about? Please do not sit here in this place and throw around remarks condescendingly to me when I have made genuine and warranted criticisms of the minister and her inadequate, woeful performance. I will not have any minister attempt to shut me up because I am calling out the government and the ministers for inadequately addressing what is in their portfolio.
This is unacceptable, and the people sitting in the gallery and the people watching know this, along with the thousands and thousands of Canberrans that are deeply and personally affected by this Labor-Greens government’s inaction on addressing a seriously dangerous, life-threatening issue. To turn that into saying, “Don’t say this about my colleague,” is totally unacceptable.
I sincerely hope that what I have read in the media reports this afternoon is true and that Mr Rattenbury will announce the details of the loan scheme within the coming weeks. That is the very least that this government can do after sitting on its hands, after having its head in the sand, taking no action and providing no assurances to the public for years and years. Mr Deputy Speaker, I want to say directly to the thousands and thousands of Canberrans that are affected: whilst the Labor-Greens government does not acknowledge, does not understand and does not take seriously your concerns, the Canberra Liberals will, and we will always stand up for you. We will not be supporting the amendment.
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