Page 463 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 21 February 2018
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Canberrans are the best paid in Australia but, according to the Bureau of Statistics, we are also the most equitable city. As I kept reading, I thought we might well be that little blue engine willing to hitch ourselves to the nation and lead it over the hill, tugging and pulling all the way. As it says in the story:
She tugged and pulled and pulled and tugged and slowly, slowly, slowly they started off.
Puff, puff, chug, chug, went the Little Blue Engine. “I think I can—I think I can—I think I can—I think I can.”
Up, up, up. Faster and faster the little engine climbed, until at last they reached the top of the mountain.
The ACT offers a different path to economic growth, one based on the pillars of education, health and infrastructure. It is the slow and steady path to sustainable, inclusive economic growth, and on many measures it appears to be working. On the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development regional wellbeing measures, the ACT ranks the highest of any state or territory on six of 11 measures and second on four others.
Compared to all OECD regions the ACT ranks in the top 18 per cent in access to services, the top 15 per cent for education and the top 10 per cent for health. It is no surprise that the ACT also ranks in the top 10 per cent for safety, the top eight per cent for jobs and the top seven per cent for income. Of all the regions making up the OECD, the ACT ranks in the top seven per cent for life satisfaction. This has not happened by accident; it requires a government to put its money where its mouth is and invest in its people. The Commonwealth Grants Commission as part of its annual update report considers that when you factor in size and need the ACT has the highest spend per capita of any jurisdiction on health and education.
As I finished reading the story I was filled with pride in what we are attempting to achieve here in the ACT:
“Hurray, hurray,” cried the little clown and all the dolls and toys. “The good little boys and girls in the city will be happy because you helped us!”
And the Little Blue Engine smiled and seemed to say as she puffed steadily down the mountain, “I thought I could. I thought I could. I thought I could.”
Whilst we might not have reached the top of the summit just yet, we certainly continue to think we can. We continue to work on our housing policy to address the needs of the most disadvantaged in our community. We are reviewing our education policy to prepare our school system for the next 10 years. We are delivering on our election commitment to increase nurse-led walk-in centres in the ACT. And this year we will deliver the first stage of the light rail in the ACT, realising a key aspect of the original Griffin plan from over 100 years ago.
There is still plenty to do, and I would rather be on the side that stands for Canberra getting on with the job of climbing that mountain to deliver to a wonderful people.
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