Page 660 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 9 March 2011
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In terms of this talking down of the city and saying, “This is what the people of Canberra think—they’ve never seen Canberra looking so bad,” that is not the view of the people of Canberra. We also seek advice through surveys, most particularly on people’s satisfaction levels with their experience most particularly of parks and open spaces—in other words, the public realm and the public amenity. The most recent survey, the 2009-10 results, indicates an 89 per cent satisfaction level with the experience and a 91 per cent satisfaction level with the general management of town and district parks and open space within the ACT.
Those are the statistically relevant, significant findings of the most recent survey of Canberrans: 91 per cent of Canberrans expressed satisfaction with the management of town and district parks; 97 per cent of people surveyed that visit our parks perceived the parks to be clean and well-maintained; and 96 per cent—admittedly this was before this extreme summer—one year ago expressed satisfaction with the way in which the grass was being maintained in our parks and open spaces and places. Those were the latest results of the most recent survey. Admittedly, it was before this last summer, but surely to goodness we all have the capacity to acknowledge that the second wettest year or summer in our history produces some very significant and unusual results.
In the context of saying, “This is what the people are saying; we can read out letters”—and we all get those—I do not think it actually behoves the Liberal Party to jump on the Canberra bashing bandwagon: “What a horrible place it is and how ugly it is. I’ve never seen it looking so bad.” That is the Alistair Coe and the Liberal Party line, talking the city down constantly: “Why would you want to live here? Isn’t it awful?” It is not. It is beautiful. It is well maintained. It has its issues, as we all do. There is significant antisocial behaviour. A small number of Canberrans seek, through graffiti, through litter, through antisocial behaviours, to generate continuing problems for us. But we do as well as any other place in Australia in relation to those issues, and we do it in the context of a rating base or a taxation effort that is essentially the same as that of other places.
The challenge for Mr Coe is not to say, “We’re not asking for more money. We just think you need to actually sweep the streets better than you are sweeping them.” In other words, “We think you need to mow the grass better than you’re mowing it. We’re not suggesting you apply any additional funds. We’re not suggesting we increase rates, taxes or charges. We’re not suggesting you increase the budget for TAMS. We just want them to be better at what they do.” What a load of nonsense. They want the $25 million devoted to municipal services to somehow magically be translated into—what?—more mowing, or better mowing?
This talking down of the town goes along with the talking down of our health system, the talking down of our education system and the talking down of Canberra as a place in which to do business, a place in which to invest and a place to come and live. And now we have, I guess generally, the Liberal Party saying that they do not like the look of the place. I find it remarkable that Mr Coe will not join with me in accepting that this is the most beautiful place in Australia. Which place do you think is better, Mr Coe? Which city do you prefer? Who are you backing? Where would you prefer to be living? Which city is it that you, Mr Coe, prefer above Canberra? Where would you prefer to be living rather than in the ACT?
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