Page 4051 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 17 November 2015
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We value the role of community councils and think they play an important role. The ACT government provides funding to the seven community councils across the ACT, which are Belconnen, Gungahlin, north Canberra, inner south Canberra, Woden valley, Weston Creek and Tuggeranong. Recently there was a review by the Auditor-General of community funding. I do not understand why, if this Labor government feel that community councils are not contributing and are not fulfilling the role they are supposed to through their funding, the government would keep funding them if the they truly believed the councils were not fulfilling an important role in our community. It is one of those things where you are trying to have your cake and eat it too.
We value the role of community councils. We are always attending community council meetings so that we hear the views of residents. I think many members of the Assembly value the role of community councils and I am sure do not agree with the views that were expressed by the Chief Minister during the annual reports hearings. I believe that community councils provide a valuable mechanism for representing and advocating the views of everyday Canberrans. They are volunteers who are out there doing their bit, trying their hardest to make our communities better places. I think there have been many successes that we can point to where they have done that.
Perhaps some councils are not as effective as others. I can only base my views on the ones that I have attended. But it is much better to listen and to go and talk with people who are willing to play their part than it is to always hear those people who want to harp, complain and whinge without actually playing a role in trying to achieve something and make communities better. That is what community councils are trying to do. That is what the volunteers who become the executive, the committee, of community councils do. They have a genuine desire to make Canberra a better place, most especially their own local region.
More recently I have seen a number of Labor and Greens candidates suddenly starting to turn up to community council meetings. Those candidates must either believe that there is value in community councils or they have been directed to go there by members of their parties for some reason. Again, if you believe they are not useful why are you going to those meetings?
Mr Coe interjecting—
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Order, members!
MS LAWDER: They even preselect people who have been—
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Ms Lawder, please address your remarks through the chair.
MS LAWDER: I beg your pardon?
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Please address your remarks through the chair.
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