Page 3905 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 25 September 2019
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
I reflect on the events in my life since the strategy was released. Just after the strategy was released and there was a lot of press coverage of it, particularly the focus on gas and car-free days, my parents were at my apartment, having a good old time, just hanging out. Dad was showing me his new Raiders green ugg boots that he has been wearing religiously since the prospect of a semifinal came up. He made this comment to me, “We’ve got to replace the stove but we are probably better doing it in electricity because you are banning me from using gas.” I looked at him and said, “Dad, you don’t have a gas stove now. I don’t see what the problem is. And what is your issue with gas?” He looked at me and said, “I don’t really understand why gas is bad.”
It is a fair observation, because for a long time we have been told gas is the better energy source, it is the one we should use in place of coal. But actually there is an even better source now, which is renewable electricity from wind and from solar. I was sitting there with my dad and I said to him, “Induction is pretty good, and you can get this from electricity that is coming from renewable sources. You will not pollute, and it is fewer carbon emissions going into the atmosphere.” Dad said, “Yes, actually that makes sense. I get it. If I have to replace my stove, I might as well not go gas. I might as well go electricity and take responsibility for doing my bit for the environment.” I said, “Yes, if you’re having to do it anyway, get in and actually do it.”
Then he started off on the other point, which was car-free days. Quite to my amazement, he said to me, “I agree there should be fewer cars.” I looked at him and said, “What do you mean?” My dad actually collects diecast model cars. He has far too many of them to fit in his house, and he is obsessed with these things. He has got his four-wheel drive, which he converted to a more efficient energy fuel source over the years. He is always focused on this. He loves to go to Summernats and all these other bits and pieces that I personally do not have a huge interest in but I keep going with his passions in life.
Anyway, he said, “No, I agree. We should have fewer cars. It makes sense. We have actually been doing this for a long time.” I said, “What do you mean?” He said, “When I lived in Sydney,” which was back in his youth, “even then we didn’t get by with a car. We used public transport. I would drive to the train station to catch the train.” I said, “Okay. You mean we should have more park-and-rides, the multiple park-and-rides we already have now and the few that we are already going to be investing in?” He said, “Yes, exactly; we should have stuff like that.” I said, “Okay, great, Dad. I think you will find we’re onto it.”
I thought it was really interesting because the commentary we have heard from the opposition is that it will have an effect particularly in the outer suburbs. I do not think it is a secret to anyone in this place that I grew up in Giralang. When I was growing up, it was the outermost part of Canberra. I lived in the outermost part of Giralang. If you walked across the buffer you got to the highway. Even back then my parents bought in Giralang because they wanted to use the bus. They said, “It had a good bus service. We could just walk down to the bus stop.” I said, “Okay, no worries.”
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video