Inaugural Speech to the ACT Legislative Assembly - 2 May 2006

MR BARR: I seek leave of the Assembly to make my inaugural speech.

Leave granted.

MR BARR: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank my Assembly colleagues for the opportunity to deliver my inaugural speech today. I would like to begin by acknowledging the Ngunnawal people, on whose land we are meeting. I recognise their continuing contribution to the life of our community and pay my respects to their elders.

It is a humbling experience to be standing in the Assembly representing the people of Molonglo and the Australian Labor Party. Whilst the Assembly and the chamber are not new to me—I have worked for many members here—the significance of this new role is not lost on me. The past four weeks have been a period of considerable change, not only for me but also for the government. The retirement of Ted Quinlan has been a loss to the Labor caucus, to this Assembly and to the people of the ACT. Ted has been a significant figure in territory politics over the past decade. The ACT economy is undeniably stronger and more robust as a result of Ted's contribution as Treasurer.Canberra has benefited from his considerable economic expertise, strong sense of social justice and his ability as a parliamentarian. He is a hard act to follow.

During my 30 years in Canberra I have seen the city develop into a confident, progressive, outward-looking city with a firm view of its place as a national leader. The Canberra of 2006 is a far different place to the insecure, introspective, public service town that I remember in the late 1970s and early 1980s. My earliest memories of Canberra include living in Kambah and Macgregor—what were then the fringes of the city, in what seemed like the last houses on earth. Canberra has changed a lot since then. The establishment of self-government, the development of thriving education, tourism and IT sectors, the growth in the arts, the food and wine industries and the success of our home-grown sporting teams like the Raiders, the Brumbies and the Capitals have led to a greater sense of identity outside our role as the seat of national government.

I have been involved in the Labor Party since I was 18, and it too has changed. Under Jon Stanhope's leadership it has embraced the modern Labor values of responsible economic management and progressive social reform. I am proud to be a member of the ALP and I am proud to advocate modern Labor values in this Assembly.

I strongly believe in a secular liberal democracy and the clear separation of church and state, which lies at its heart. I support the right of people to practise whichever religion they choose and use the teachings of their church as the basis for their morality. That being said, I do not believe organised religion has the franchise over morality or ethics.

I believe in justice and fairness, in the right of people to make their own decisions about matters that affect only them. I believe in freedom of choice. I believe in the right of consenting adults to make decisions about their relationships and sexual preferences. I believe fundamentally in a woman's right to choose. I believe that good governments make a real difference to people's lives.

A great Labor leader once said that when you change the government you change the country. That could just as easily have been a statement about our territory. With the election of the Stanhope government, this territory did change—for the better. The ACT is a more progressive and inclusive society than it was five years ago. Being progressive, though, means more than just paying lip-service to ideas like equality; it is about achieving concrete results to better people's lives. We need to ensure that governments do not discriminate against their citizens because of where they are from, the institutions they choose to be part of, or not part of, and whom they choose as a partner.

The achievements of this government are numerous but there are three reforms that I believe will have a long-lasting effect on our community, namely: the Human Rights Act; the removal of abortion from the Criminal Code; and the gay and lesbian law reform process.

I am proud to be part of a government that is the first in Australia to have a bill of rights that sets out in law our fundamental rights and freedoms. The protection of human rights in law is an important and significant step forward for our community. I hope that the leadership the Stanhope government has shown in this area will encourage other states and territories—and the commonwealth—to follow suit.

Whether or not to have an abortion is a matter for individuals, not for parliaments. Women should have the right to make their own reproductive choices, and those who have had an abortion should not be treated as criminals. I would like to commend you, Mr Speaker, for your leadership in this major reform.

Legislation alone cannot change social attitudes—but it does make a difference. The passage of the three gay and lesbian law reform bills has not eliminated homophobia in our community—but it has made a huge difference to the lives of thousands of Canberrans who previously lived as second-class citizens in our city. These reforms have also been important for families.

I believe in the family as the basic unit in Australian society, but I believe the family can take many forms. These reforms are pro-family. They strengthen relationships. What is anti-family is the declaration that the entire concept of family or marriage is on such shaky ground that enlarging the concept to include ideas beyond the 1950s white picket fence view of the world could see the whole thing fall apart. That is what diminishes family.

It is not just the thousands of gay and lesbian Canberrans whose lives have been improved by these reforms, it is the thousands of parents who want their sons and daughters to be able to live happy, productive and healthy lives without having to experience fear, hate and discrimination. It is the brothers and sisters who have seen their gay and lesbian siblings struggle with the unfairness of discriminatory laws and who have felt guilty about the unequal treatment society dishes out.

People often say that there is no major difference between the two major political parties on matters of substance. They could not be more wrong, and in this case the difference is extremely clear: only Labor is prepared to draw a line in the sand and say that we will not stand for discrimination in our city anymore.

These sorts of social reforms transform lives. They are the reason I am engaged in political life. I will always look back with great pride on my involvement in the gay law reform process.

Mr Speaker, good governments make a difference. Good governments set the social agendas for their communities. They govern as leaders rather than as followers. Many governments seek to lead from behind and to be followers of public opinion. Very few are brave enough to proactively set the social agenda. This government took a significant social agenda to the electorate and won strong support. We take pride in taking the lead on these issues in our community. That is what good government is all about.

Good government is not just about social policy, though; it is also about economic management. There is no point being in government if you cannot make people's lives better. And you cannot do that if you are not paying attention to the economy. Good governments manage the economy responsibly, and that good management leads to benefits for all the community. It is what underpins the delivery of the services that Canberrans want and need.

Running a surplus operating budget provides intergenerational equity. It means that each generation of the ACT community pays for the government services they are receiving. A surplus budget is vital to maintaining the territory's AAA credit rating. A surplus budget also provides the basis for managing the risks and uncertainties that will inevitably arise in the future. That is the reason why this government has delivered successive budget surpluses totalling $250 million since coming to office.

Paul Keating said, "Leadership is not about being popular. It's about being right, about being strong. It's about doing what you think the nation requires."I think that argument has more currency now than it possibly did then. Good government is about making difficult decisions in the long-term interests of the community. As a new member of this Labor government, I commit to contribute to the continuation of the sound economic management of this territory.

Good governments invest in the community, through well-managed programs of infrastructure improvements. We need to be investing in our schools, roads, hospitals, footpaths and housing—in short, investing in our community's future. But we need to be innovative in the way we make government work.

We need to find and maintain the right balance between the provision of municipal services and the state responsibilities we have. We need to accept the economic and societal challenges that face us in the coming decades. Those people who think that this city should function as it did 30 years ago, and never change, should realise that this city is different now, the challenges are different, and the funding is different. Canberra today has a thriving private sector employment base. The "education industries"are major drivers of economic growth—anyone who views this city solely through the prism of the parliamentary triangle is missing the real story.

Mr Speaker, good governments provide high quality education and health systems for their communities. I am proudly a product of the ACT education system; I was taught here in public schools. I believe that every child deserves a quality education—regardless of their background.

Our school system is operating under considerable pressure from changing demographics and community expectations. Across Australia there has been a movement of students away from the public school system, and the ACT is not immune to this. There are now nearly 18,000 empty desks across the ACT public school system. Keeping surplus capacity at such levels is not only costly but also proving increasingly difficult to maintain the highest standards of educational facilities and services in all 95 schools.

We face serious challenges in achieving equity across the public school system. Providing the latest teaching and learning technology for all students is not cheap. High quality teaching and learning are only possible in a properly resourced educational environment. Our education system needs teachers who are professionally supported, high quality facilities and infrastructure, access to current information technology, and supportive and involved parents.

To maintain a viable public school system we must ensure that government schools can provide uniform quality of the highest standard across the territory. This inevitably means making difficult decisions about closing schools in some parts of Canberra. The current arrangements are working against the equitable provision of resources throughout the system.

Our public education system is among the best in the world but, like all institutions, it needs renewal so we can continue to deliver high quality educational outcomes for students in the ACT. A quality education opens the door to employment opportunities and choice for our citizens.

Like most Australians, I am deeply concerned about the Howard government's extreme new industrial relations system that will see a reduction in wages and conditions for many workers in our community—and a reduction in choice. Under the draconian WorkChoices changes it is the vulnerable workers in our society who will experience wage reductions and the deterioration of their working conditions.

I oppose a system that will see some of our lowest paid workers struggle even more to balance work and family life and to make ends meet. I also oppose a system that prevents unions from representing their members—unions that have fought for generations to build up the protections for these workers. It is thanks to the union movement that workers have a voice and decent conditions.

Good government has a role in protecting workers and ensuring there is an independent umpire to deal with industrial disputes. This is one of the reasons why I am in the Labor Party and why, as part of this government, I will continue to oppose these laws.

None of us would be in this chamber if we did not share the belief that Canberra is a great place to live and work. Canberra's role as the national capital has always meant there have been people interested in visiting our city to experience the national monuments or to see the federal parliament at work. We need to encourage those people who visit for a weekend to come back and explore the many other attractions Canberra has to offer outside the parliamentary triangle.

Canberra's growing food and wine industries provide a perfect weekend escape from the traffic jams of Sydney. As do our sporting events and festivals. We need to work smarter in the way we promote our city to the rest of the country. There is more to see in this city than what people remember from their "year 6"tour of the national capital.

One of the best attractions Canberra has is its strong sense of community. Nowhere is this more evident than when we come together to follow the fortunes of our elite sporting teams and also when we come together at a local oval to cheer on the junior cricket side or netball team.

Sport plays an integral part in developing our sense of community. It brings people together and in many cases enables us to meet new people and establish friendships. Sport has many benefits to the people of Canberra. It encourages a healthy lifestyle, it engages our community spirit, and our elite sporting teams give our city a profile on millions of television screens across the southern hemisphere. For these reasons, it is important that we continue to encourage and develop sport from the grassroots level through to elite competition.

Aside from the challenges my new portfolio responsibilities bring, I am first and foremost a local member. Part of being an effective local member is developing a strong affinity with your electorate. The average age of the Molonglo electorate is 34. Having just celebrated my 33rd birthday, I have a clear understanding of the issues facing many in the electorate. About one-third of the people I represent are loosely defined as Generation X.

Generations are about shared values and experiences. My generation has experienced more change in our short time in the work force than most previous generations faced in their entire working lives. My generation grew up in a period of massive social and political upheaval—the old notions of left and right have become less relevant now than they were to our parents— we view politics as a battle between the progressives and the conservatives, rather than as a fight between capitalism and communism. Ours is a generation that grew up watching the old powers fade away.

The world has changed, and it happened live via satellite. Given the ubiquitous nature of the internet these days, I find it amazing that I completed my degree at the ANU, only 10 years ago, without ever using it. My first job did not have email. Many of my friends are in their third and fourth careers by their mid-30s. As a generation we have grown used to change and seem to be more comfortable with it.

Governments can no longer control the economy in the way they used to. While there are some things we want government to do for us, most of the time we want government to assist us to do things for ourselves. Mine is a generation that wants government to provide opportunities. Most of us were happy to contribute to our university educations through HECS but we are now horrified by the amount that those following us are expected to pay for their higher education.

It is worth noting, Mr Speaker, that the 17 members of the federal cabinet currently hold at least 18 degrees between them, most attained at no cost. These are the baby boomers responsible for brutally transferring the cost of education to generations X and Y, generations that can now look forward to enormous HECS debts on top of horrifyingly unaffordable housing and spiralling credit card debts. A good government does not leave debts for future generations to pay off.

It is often remarked that Generation X is the lost generation. We are often criticised for lacking idealism. I disagree. I do not think you can be a true representative or a true leader without the desire to shape a better world. But in shaping that world there is an expectation, often fuelled by us as politicians, that governments can solve every problem. I do not approach governing with that expectation. However, I do approach it with an attitude of being a strong advocate for social reform and sound economic management—with the goal of working together to achieve a sustainable and strong community. A range of factors beyond our control, such as globalisation, do place a limit on what governments can do. But I see the role of government as a catalyst for solutions and as a means of bringing people together to contribute to the common good.

Another characteristic of my generation is that we are income rich but asset poor. My friend Ryan Heath refers to this phenomenon as "property apartheid"in his recent book about the baby boomers. Whilst the language is harsh, I believe the sentiment is fair. Generally all Australians say they aspire to own their own home; it is the great Australian dream. The preference for home ownership prevails across age groups, household types and socioeconomic status. However, achieving this aspiration has become harder and harder for young Australians. There is no doubt that continuing economic restructuring and social change have impacted on the proportion of younger people buying their homes. In 1989, almost 65 per cent of 25 to 39-year-olds had bought their first home. In 2003 that number had dropped to 54 per cent and continues to fall. Soon, half a generation will be locked out of home ownership.

Housing is a large part of Canberra's wealth and living standards. Its value underpins consumer confidence. Its prosperity adds substantially to economic growth. The provision of secure, affordable and appropriate housing is central to community wellbeing. The recent huge increases in housing prices have created severe problems for the territory's economic development and competitiveness, efficient urban development and intergenerational equity.

The major factor contributing to the decline in housing affordability in Canberra has been the increase in land prices. In the face of these substantial increases, the market has shifted towards smaller block sizes for detached housing and increased housing densities through multiunit developments. But despite these changes, the share of land cost in new house prices has increased significantly. I believe the solutions to these problems must come from the supply side and I warmly welcome the recent increase in land supply delivered by my colleague Simon Corbell.

I believe that the exemptions for home owners from capital gains and land taxes need to be looked at because they too are damaging affordability. I think it is fair to say that the price of a house inCanberra these days is a reflection of its tax-free haven status than its inherent value as a home.

Sir Humphrey Appleby would describe these views as "courageous"—perhaps best left alone as ideas floated by a new member in his first speech, but I believe that good governments never stop looking for better answers to difficult questions. These tax exemptions undoubtedly favour the majority of home owners, especially those who are older or wealthier. But in my view they are pricing younger people out of the market, thereby contributing substantially to the fall in overall home ownership for younger Canberrans.

Of course housing affordability is not just about the cost of buying a house; the cost of renting in this city also continues to increase. It is becoming more expensive to live in this city as a young person—even as a young professional. Rents of up to $400 per week for one-bedroom apartments are not uncommon, and even living in share houses does not necessarily relieve the burden. It would not be an uncommon occurrence that residents of a three-bedroom share house would each pay up to and beyond $150 per week in rent. I believe the supply of low-rent housing in Canberrawould benefit greatly from targeted incentives to attract large financial investors and by expanding the use of not-for-profit housing providers. I welcome the work my colleague John Hargreaves has undertaken in this area and look forward to it continuing.

The Stanhope Labor government is a good government and as part of it I aim to continue its record of leadership, strong economic management, support for the vulnerable in our society, and open and transparent government.

In closing, I would not be here today if it were not for the support and encouragement of a large number of people. There are too many to thank individually but I would particularly like to acknowledge my partner, Anthony; my parents, Susan and James, and my brother Iain; John Hargreaves and Annette Ellis; David Tansey and Michael Cooney; my 2004 campaign team led by Bernard Philbrick; staff in my new ministerial office, John Hannoush, Liz Lopa, Ryan Hamilton and Matt Lawrence; the members and affiliates of the Australian Labor Party, particularly Matthew Cossey, ACT Branch secretary; my sub-branch—the Mount Ainslie branch; ACT Young Labor and the centre coalition; and finally you, my Assembly colleagues. At times this job has felt like starting at a new school but I have been very lucky to have had friends in the playground. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.