It’s time to reclaim Canberra for the people

Thank you, members. I never expected to be occupying this seat in the Chamber. It was never my plan. I want to thank Ms Castley and Mr Hanson for the work that they've done in the last 12 months to lay the foundation for the next three years, and of course, also congratulate Mr Hanson for his election as Speaker today.

Today, I stand before this Assembly deeply honoured to lead the Canberra liberals and determined to chart a new course for our party and for the city, and it's a course that puts people first.

Members, can I tell you I spoke to my wife on the day of the leadership vote for us a couple of weeks ago, seems like about six months ago now, I spoke to her on the way in. She called me, and I answered. I was on Morshead Drive, and she said, How do you feel? And I said, to be honest, I feel sick. I feel I feel like I want to go and vomit. And she said, why? And I said, Well, I don't want to let people down. I just don't want to let people down.

This is an enormous role. It's an enormous task. And I just I said to her honestly, I said, I fear that I'm not up to the task. And she said to me, you will give it the best that you can, and I will. And you know, I certainly hope that that is good enough. But again, I'm not going to tell you stuff that's not true. I'm going to concede that there are many moments that I've felt submerged in an ocean of self doubt and imposter syndrome sort of descended upon me.

But I guess more than anything else, I have a genuine love and respect for every member of this parliamentary team, and a genuine belief that as a collective, that we can do great things together, and I believe that we can, and I certainly trust their belief in me, in getting me to this seat, I also have a genuine respect for everyone in this Chamber. I mean, it's interesting. I've never viewed myself as the smartest person in the room. And looking around this room, I'm not sure that I even make the top 10 to be honest.

And so in regards, and echoing some of the words from the newly minted Speaker, given the minority status of government and the situation that we have in this Chamber. Again, I would state that I have enormous respect for everybody sitting in this Chamber, and that I understand that there's certainly been many moments in the last 12 months, and there'll be many in the next three years where we have to form a consensus to get things done, and I'm certainly hoping to play a large role in that.

When I accepted the role, I asked myself a simple question, what is it that actually keeps Canberrans awake at night?

And it's not politics. It's not the stuff that goes on in here, in terms of any bickering and arguing. It's everyday worries. It's the things that matter to most families, to mums and dads, to young people starting out, I think of a conversation I recently had with a mother in Tuggeranong, Calwell and she told me that she lays awake wondering how she'll afford the next rates bill and whether her daughter will ever own a home, and if her elderly father will get the surgery he needs before another winter passes. It's real life, and it is what matters.

And that's what sadly, I think, on a number of levels, this government has forgotten. It's time to reclaim Canberra for the people in the suburbs, the families who work hard, pay their taxes and expect a fair go, because for too long, this government has taken them for granted. It saddled their children with intergenerational debt, delivered less in services and infrastructure every year, and treated housing as a revenue source rather than a right. In simple terms, it now takes two full time incomes just to keep a roof over your head in this city, families are being forced out. Young people feel they'll never achieve the dream of home ownership, and I think a lot of that is because this government is a monopolistic, morally bankrupt property developer. I know that's a that's a harsh statement. I get that, but I'm stating my belief.

Land in the ACT costs 20% more than across the border. Rates and charges keep rising, and in just one year, they introduced 25 new or higher taxes. It's not sustainable, it's not fair, and it's driving Canberrans to the brink.

If you need a GP, you wait. If you need emergency care, you wait. If you need elective surgery, you wait and wait and wait, and this government's answer: a health levy that was to force taxpayers to pay for public health twice. Meanwhile, the ACT has the lowest number of ambulance offices per capita in the country. A hospital system costs 17% more than the national average to operate.

Mr Speaker, my belief is that Canberrans deserve better. They deserve a health system that works, not one that costs more and delivers less.

Every Canberran should feel safe in their home, but under this government, that's no longer the reality. On average, every single day in the city, 10 people are assaulted, three cars are stolen, five homes or businesses are broken into. And what's the government done? It's failed to maintain adequate policing levels. It's opened the door to organised crime through a range of legislative change, which has left us in a place where crime is much more likely.

This is not the Canberra that we know. It's not the Canberra we want, and it is not the Canberra that we will accept.

This government is addicted to spending, and Canberrans are paying the price. Today, the Territory owes 29 billion. 1 in every $5 of revenue goes to just servicing that debt. And what do we get for it? We get failed projects. We get wasted millions, and we get broken promises. They've spent millions on a ticketing system that doesn't work. They've tried to introduce electric fire trucks. They're cutting public service jobs to manage the budget crisis that they created. Every project costs more, takes longer and delivers less. That's the record, and I think it's unacceptable.

The Canberra Liberals will deliver practical solutions, not ideology. We will listen to Canberrans. I'm here to restore trust in government, essentially, because that's where we want to be, making housing affordable again, fixing our health system, keeping our streets safe, ending waste and restoring fiscal responsibility, we will stand up for the mums and dads who work hard every day, for the young people who deserve a future in the city, and for the families who simply want a fair go.

Canberrans deserve a government that respects them, values them, and works for them, not against them. It's time for change. It's time for accountability. It is time to reclaim Canberra for the people.