Internships and Fellowships
With the parliamentary year having wrapped up, I thought I’d repost my call for potential interns and fellows. Details here (or below).
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When I was 16, I did two weeks’ work experience for John Langmore, who was then the member for Fraser. It was the first year that the new Parliament House had been opened, and I remember getting hopelessly lost as I went on errands around the building. I’m not sure how much of an impression I made on John (he didn’t remember me when we met again a decade on), but the experience had a profound impact on me – as I learned a ton about the issues and personalities that drove politics in that era.
Over the past two years, I’ve been fortunate to have a suite of people help out as volunteers in my office, assisting me with speeches and submissions, helping solve constituent problems, answering the phone, and assisting with campaigning activities. (Here's the list of 2012 interns.)
So I thought it might be useful to put out a formal call for interns and fellows.
Keen to apply? See the FAQs below.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the criteria?
Enthusiasm, intelligence, and an interest in helping shape progressive ideas.
How long are the placements?
It depends on you. My office can accommodate anything from a week to a couple of months (though longer stints would probably need to be part-time). We will only have one intern/fellow at a time.
What would I gain?
A unique insight into parliament and constituent engagement.
What can you supply?
We can’t promise anything more than a desk and a chair. You’ll probably need to bring your own laptop.You may be working at either the electorate office in Braddon, the Parliament House office, or both.
What’s the difference between a fellow and an intern?
A fellow will complete a piece of writing – which is likely to be a submission or a report. School work experience students are likely to work as interns, while graduate students are likely to work as fellows. Undergraduate students could take either role, depending on their skills and interests.
How do I apply?
Email andrew.leigh.mp <asperand> aph.gov.au with a one-page CV setting out your experience and skills, plus a covering email saying why you’d like the position and what period you’d like to work. Either I or my overworked chief of staff Nick Terrell will get back to you within two weeks. It would be helpful to contact us at least a month before you’d like to start volunteering.
Ageing Not a Problem
My Chronicle column this week is on ageing, concluding with a shameless plug for my community forum this Friday.
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Ageing Not a Problem, The Chronicle, 4 December 2012
When I hear people talk about the ‘problem’ of ageing, I’m tempted to reply: ‘it beats the alternative!’. Thanks to better food, quality healthcare, economic growth and a stronger safety net, life expectancy in Australia is now 84 for women and 80 for men, about two years longer than it was a decade ago. Older Australians are also healthier, with one study showing that the mobility and mental acuity of a 70 year-old today is comparable to that of a 60 year-old a generation ago.
Last month, I held a community forum with Minister for Ageing Mark Butler. Over 160 people came along to hear about the government's Living Longer – Living Better reforms. Based on an 800-page Productivity Commission report and extensive hearings around Australia, the package recognises that while the aged care system has served Australia well, it is not fit for purpose in the coming decades.
The reforms recognise that the current aged care system is overly focused on nursing homes, despite the fact that most people say they want to stay in their own home. So we’re increasing home-care packages, and giving people more control over their care.
Many people find it difficult to get the information they need for themselves or a loved one, so we’re adopting a suggestion from peak body COTA for a single ‘gateway’. For those who enter nursing homes, we’re also ensuring that people have the choice between paying a bond (as two-thirds currently do) or paying on a rental basis.
In the next generation, we’ll be needing more qualified aged care staff, so we’re helping train more registered nurses and carers. We want to close the pay gap for nurses working in hospitals and nursing homes, to stem the flow of talented workers leaving the aged care sector.
We’re also making sure that people are able to die with dignity, by helping everyone clearly communicate their wishes to friends and family. And despite the fact that hardly anyone wants to end their life in hospital, about three-quarters die there. So we’re improving access to palliative care, such as the high quality care available at Clare Holland House in Barton.
After outlining the reforms, Mark Butler and I were inundated by questions on everything from pensions to health expenses, advance care directives to disability care. One of the great things about representing a Canberra seat is that people are never backward in coming forward, and I appreciate the chance to engage on important issues like these.
Given the strong interest in aged care, I’m holding a second forum on the same topic. It’ll be on Friday 7 December, from 10.30-11.30am in the Griffin Centre on Genge Street in the city. If you or a loved one are looking at aged care options, I encourage you to attend. You can RSVP by email ([email protected]) or phone (6247 4396). I hope you can join the conversation.
Andrew Leigh is the Federal Member for Fraser, and his website is www.andrewleigh.com.
Local organisations to help Australia get ready for NDIS
Three ACT-based organisations have received funding from the Gillard Government to help people with disability, as well as their carers and families, adjust to the options available under an NDIS. Providing support for the sector to adjust to the changes is an important step in a transition to an NDIS.
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JOINT MEDIA RELEASE
Andrew Leigh MP
Member for Fraser
Gai Brodtmann MP
Member for Canberra
Local organisations to help Australia get ready for NDIS
Three ACT-based organisations, National Rural Health Alliance, Disability Advocacy Network of Australia and ACT Disability, Aged and Carer Advocacy will receive close to $300 000 in funding from the Gillard Government to get ready for the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
Member for Canberra, Gai Brodtmann, today announced that these organisations will receive the funding as part of the Gillard Government’s $10 million Practical Design Fund, which identifies and supports innovative projects that will help people with disability, their families and carers and the disability sector transition to an NDIS.
“A National Disability Insurance Scheme will fundamentally change the way we deliver care and support for people with disability here in Canberra and across the country,” Ms Brodtmann said.
“An essential part of getting this change right is developing practical ways to make sure an NDIS works how it’s supposed to for people with disability. That is exactly what each of these organisations will help us do.
“With the National Disability Insurance Scheme launching in the ACT next year, it’s really important that we’re doing all we can to help our disability sector identify the very best ways of supporting people with disability,” said Ms Brodtmann.
The National Rural Health Alliance will receive $77 000 to consult with people with disability, as well as their carers and families, regarding delivery of disability services in rural and remote communities.
The Disability Advocacy Network of Australia will receive $123 480 to develop an online tool about advocacy and the NDIS.
ACT Disability, Aged and Carer Advocacy will receive $90 200 to develop tools for supported decision-making, helping people with disability make decisions about their day-to-day life.
Dr Andrew Leigh said the first stage of the National Disability Insurance Scheme will start in the ACT from July 2013, delivering individualised care and support for thousands of people with disability, their families and carers.
“We’re investing $1 billion for the launch of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, and we’re working to introduce the first stage of the scheme.
“To be chosen to deliver this national project is a fantastic achievement and it shows us that some of the best work being delivered by Australia’s disability sector is happening right here in the ACT.
“The Gillard Government is supporting the work that our local organisations and national organisations based here in Canberra are doing to make sure the National Disability Insurance Scheme becomes a reality for people with disability, their families and carers in the ACT,” Dr Leigh said.
Restoring Our Woodlands
Over 90% of Australia's yellow box grassy woodlands have been lost. But thanks to partnerships between the Labor Government and conservation groups such as Greening Australia, these are being restored. Today I joined federal Environment Minister Tony Burke at one such project, Mulligan's Flat, to announce the restoration of the Greater Goorooyarroo Woodlands area.
You can read more about the Labor Government's Biodiversity Fund here.http://www.youtube.com/v/mcRnRf9R_wU?version=3&hl=en_GB
Australia-China Forum
I spoke in parliament today about the Australia-China Forum, which I attended in Beijing on 15 November 2012.
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Australia-China Forum, 29 November 2012
Earlier this month it was my pleasure to attend the second annual Australia-China Forum. Established during a difficult period in the bilateral relationship, the forum provides an opportunity for businesspeople, government officials, academics and journalists to discuss issues that matter to our two countries. The Australian delegation was led by the indefatigable Gareth Evans, and the Chinese delegation was led by another former foreign minister, Li Zhaoxing. We were generously hosted by the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs, CPIFA. By chance, the forum took place on the precise day that the new Chinese leadership was announced to the world.
The economic rise of China since 1978 has been astonishing. In the short time since I last visited in 2006, China's GDP has nearly doubled. Australia's economic fortunes are now tied more closely with China than with the United States. Next month, Australia and China will mark the 40th anniversary of the bilateral relationship. As the Australia in the Asian century white paper noted, China is far more to us than a buyer of commodities, and we are more to them than a buyer of manufactured products. Australian architects are designing buildings across mainland China, while Chinese students are studying at every Australian university. Hundreds of thousands of tourists travel between the two countries annually. Billions of dollars of foreign investment occurs in both directions.
Among the issues discussed at the forum was foreign investment. Australian representatives made clear that there is broad recognition across the parliament that we have more jobs and higher wages as a result of foreign investment. Since the Channar joint venture between Sinosteel and Rio Tinto in the 1980s, Australia has welcomed foreign investment by China, and no proposal has been rejected by the Foreign Investment Review Board, although some have been approved with conditions. Similarly, many Australian firms are now investing in China, across a wide range of services and manufacturing industries.
Another important issue is foreign aid. As a Lowy Institute report has noted, both Australia and China are major donors in the Asia-Pacific region. Working together—either bilaterally, multilaterally, or through vertical funds like the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria—will be important in reducing poverty in our shared neighbourhood.
As with any good discussion, there were differences. In the case of the competing claims in the South China Sea, Australian representatives stated that this was a regional issue that required a regional solution, with relevant governments clarifying and pursuing their territorial claims and accompanying maritime rights in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
In terms of military engagement, Chinese representatives criticised Australia's decision to allow a small number of United States marines to rotate through Darwin in the dry season. My own view is that the US 'pivot' towards the Asia-Pacific is welcome, and Australia can maintain strong relationships with the world's two largest economies. Some commentators, including Hugh White—who was not at the forum—have suggested that the rise of China will have to cause Australia to rethink its strong alliance with the US, but I am more optimistic about our options. Australia can be a good friend to China while being honest on difficult issues such as human rights.
Australia's relationship with China has suffered some difficulties over recent decades, most notably during the 'deputy sheriff' era of the early 2000s. To make sure we maintain a strong relationship, people-to-people dialogues are important. Australia now has over 30 bilateral dialogues with China, many at a ministerial level but also some including 1.5-track dialogues such as the Australia-China Forum. The Australian delegation included Professor Richard Rigby, Ambassador Frances Adamson, Rowan Callick, Tracy Colgan, Mike Gallagher, Henry Makeham (the founder of the Australia-China Youth Dialogue), Hamish McDonald, Peter Rowe, Trevor Rowe, Warwick Smith, Catherine Tanna, Frank Tudor, James Zeng and BJ Zhuang.
I am grateful to officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for their organisational efforts and to the other participants for their insightful comments. Unfortunately, I was the only federal parliamentarian in attendance, as the invited coalition parliamentarian was unable to rearrange his diary so as to be able to attend. I very much hope that the coalition will be able to actively participate in the next forum, particularly as it is scheduled to be held in 2013 at the Australian National University, placing it within my own electorate of Fraser.
In conclusion, I returned from Beijing with a strong sense that the Australia-China relationship is vigorous, dynamic and will continue to strengthen over coming decades. I am grateful to have many Chinese-Australians in my electorate and to have had the opportunity and indeed the privilege of attending the Australia-China forum.
The Australian Economy - Strengths and Risks
I spoke in parliament today about the state of the Australian and global economy (and snuck in a few words of thanks to my staff, interns, volunteers and family).
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Review of the Reserve Bank of Australia Annual Report, 29 November 2012
The review of the Reserve Bank of Australia's annual report is an opportunity to reflect on the strength of the Australian economy and on some of the potential threats to that ongoing strength. If you had told any economic policy maker two decades ago that, three years after the biggest downturn since the Great Depression, the Australian unemployment rate would have a '5' in front of it, inflation would be in the middle of the target band and growth would be at around the long-term average, they would say that you were dreaming. But that has been the stand-out performance of the Australian economy over recent years.
We have an unemployment rate which is low by the standards of recent decades, although we should always work to get it lower. The dispersion of unemployment is also lower than it has been in recent years, meaning that the differences across regions are not as marked as they have been in other periods. There has been talk of various threats to this continued prosperity and I want to take a few minutes to go through some of those, drawing as I do so on the recent RBA Statement of Monetary Policy and a terrific speech by RBA Governor, Glenn Stevens, delivered to a CEDA conference.
One potential threat is the end of the mining boom, as it is said. This misses the fact that the mining boom is moving through a three-phase cycle. The first is the significant rise in prices—in some cases a doubling, tripling or quadrupling of prices—from their long-term average. The second phase, which we are now moving into, is a significant run-up in resource sector physical investment. There have been questions as to whether mining investment is coming off, but we have to put these into perspective. The long-run average of resource sector investment is one to two per cent of GDP. We are now arguing over whether resource sector investment is going to come off from nine to eight per cent of GDP. But, by historical standards, resource sector investment is extraordinarily high. When we are talking about projects conceived in an environment of extremely high prices, it is no surprise that some of those projects will not come to fruition. The third phase is an increased rate of extraction, which will be ongoing. The capacity of the mining sector has been possibly permanently increased as a result of the current boom, and that phase will continue for many years to come.
Another risk often raised is the potential slowdown in Chinese economic growth. I have just returned from an Australia-China Forum discussion in Beijing, which I found incredibly valuable. It was striking to me that, since I had previously visited Beijing in 2006, China's economy had nearly doubled. As Glenn Stevens has pointed out, the increased size of the Chinese economy means that, even if growth slows from 10 per cent to, say, seven per cent, the total amount that China adds to world output every year will actually be higher than it was. He points out, for example, that seven per cent growth in 2013 adds more to global GDP than did 10 per cent growth in 2003. So, while there are of course risks—the Chinese housing market, political transitions, the management of state owned enterprises—I think we will see strong growth from China for many years to come.
Another risk sometimes raised is the higher household savings rate. I do not regard this, however, as a bad thing. The savings rate in Australia has historically been over the current 10 per cent, and I think the rebuilding of household balance sheets in the years following the global financial crisis has been no bad thing.
Another is sluggish productivity growth. Productivity has not in recent years been a standout performance, although we have seen with some of the recent numbers some indicators that productivity may be ticking up again. I would commend to the House the outgoing speech of Gary Banks, chair of the Productivity Commission, whom I praised in the House this week, and his discussion of policy reforms to boost productivity. I am particularly enamoured of his focus on good evaluation. As an advocate of randomised policy trials, I think this is an effective way of ensuring sustained prosperity.
A final potential threat to world economic growth is what has been called the US fiscal cliff. If the US goes off the fiscal cliff, estimates are that annual growth in the United States will be three to four percentage points lower in 2013 than it would otherwise be. Experts are suggesting that would lead to a recession in the US in the first part of the year. What indicators we have suggest that the chance of that is around 20 per cent, but that is clearly far too high.
Why is the US facing a fiscal cliff at the moment? Part of that is the intransigence of a Republican opposition that is unwilling to countenance any increases in taxation. I have seen from my second cousin, Alison Laughlin, who lives in Oregon, the importance of maintaining unemployment benefits in the downturn, but the fiscal cliff includes the end of Extended (Emergency) Unemployment Benefits in the United States.
I think there are two lessons for Australia in this. The first is that parties that have an ideological tax-cutting obsession are going to get themselves into terrible trouble—and we see that here in Australia where the coalition has an ideological obsession with scrapping the mining tax and the price on carbon. As a result, they have gotten themselves into a terrible fiscal hole with their budget costings. The second is that Australia's system of superannuation, had it been adopted by the United States in the early 1990s, would have put the United States in a far better position than it currently enjoys. We think back to the early 1990s in Australia and the introduction of universal superannuation, which was hard fought. One can only imagine the fiscal situation Australia would be in now if people like the member for Mackellar, then Senator Bishop, had had their way and had blocked universal superannuation.
I pay tribute to the chair of the economics committee, the member for Parramatta, who gave a group of us a beautiful Liszt piano recital in the Great Hall this morning. I close by acknowledging the valuable work of my staff this year: Louise Crossman, Nick Terrell, Lyndell Tutty, Damien Hickman, Gus Little and Claire Daly; and earlier this year, Bob Harlow and Eleanor Cubis. I have been well served by a group of diligent interns: Phillip Metaxas, Matilda Gillis, Trudy McIntosh, Byron Hewson, Rebecca Mann, Michael Jones, Daniel Carr, Ben Molan, Tanya Greeves, Emily Murray, Kyneton Morris and Jack Brady; and by some hardworking volunteers: Barbara Phi, Ken Maher, Alison Humphreys, Shalini Arumugam, Joshua Turner and Samm Cooper.
Finally, none of us could do this job without the support of our families. I thank my extended family and, particularly, my extraordinary wife, Gweneth.
Mr Jenkins: Mr Deputy Speaker, I seek to intervene.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Ms Vamvakinou): Does the member wish to take an intervention?
Dr LEIGH: I would.
Mr Jenkins: I wish to ask the member whether parenthood had changed in his view as an economist about the way that the community should interact with financial matters.
Dr LEIGH: I thank the member for Scullin for that intervention. Parenthood has changed me in many ways, not least reducing the amount of sleep that I come to this chamber with. Also, like I am sure the member for Chifley has felt, it has made me perhaps a little softer around the edges in my thinking of the world than I might have been in the pre-parenthood years.
A Guest Post from Emily Murray: Ten Tips for Engaging with Politicians
For several months this year, an ANU student by the name of Emily Murray worked as an intern in my office, via the ANU ANIP program. During this, she interviewed 41 politicians, political advisers and campaigners. At the end of it, Emily has produced a report titled 'Pressure Politics: Why Australian Politicians Support or Ignore NGO Policy Campaigns'.
I'd encourage anyone who has the time to read Emily's full report. But for the busy types who frequent Capital Hill, she has also written a guest blog post, listing ten tips for pitching your ideas up to us pollies. Take it away Emily...
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I'd encourage anyone who has the time to read Emily's full report. But for the busy types who frequent Capital Hill, she has also written a guest blog post, listing ten tips for pitching your ideas up to us pollies. Take it away Emily...
Ten Top Tips for Engaging with Politicians
By Emily Murray
Almost all of us have had a bit of a whinge at one point or another about our politicians. I can’t open a newspaper or visit my Granddad without hearing how the country’s going off track and how it could be fixed. It’s easier to throw stones than build bridges.
Have you ever tried taking your ideas and concerns to your politicians, and engaging them in a respectful discussion about an issue? The politicians I’ve met welcome meeting with their constituents and genuinely want to learn more about the issues that they face.
I’ve spent the last semester researching why politicians say yes or no to policy proposals from their constituents. Here are ten top tips to help you get your ideas on board!
1) Do your research.
Know how things stand. What does the politician think about this issue? What have they written or said publicly about it, previously and recently? How have they voted on this issue in the past? What is their party’s position? What do their constituents want? What has their party already accomplished on this issue?
Also be sure to check whether your issue is within this politician’s area of responsibility. If you’re not sure, you can always ask their office staff. Don’t be embarrassed- the division of power is complicated, and government power is more limited than most people believe. Just ask which political representatives (e.g. council, state or federal) have responsibility for this policy area and how you can contact them.
2) Go to the meeting in a group of one or two people.
Any more people prevent a good conversation from developing - and this meeting should be a respectful, persuasive conversation, not a one-way rant.
3) Clearly and concisely explain why you want the politician to change the policy.
Show statistics (ideally from the Australian Bureau of Statistics or from peer-reviewed research) and tell personal stories from their constituents, to explain the human impact of the current policy and how their constituents would benefit from the proposed policy. New evidence, or evidence that the politician hasn’t seen before, is vital for persuasion. Don’t make arguments that go beyond what your statistics can support, and avoid emotional pressure. Politicians are looking for an informed, respectful debate, not negative emotions without statistics and reason.
4) Explain to your politician why this issue could be relevant and important to them.
- What are your politician’s personal and political values? How are these values served by the proposed policy?
- In their life before becoming a politician, were they interested in your issue or did they work on your policy issue?
- What did they go into politics to achieve? How does your policy proposal fit in with their personal motivations?
5) Acknowledge their work so far and explain what you want the politician to do, immediately and in the long term.
If they’ve already worked on this issue in the past, say thank you for what they’ve done and give some examples of the human impact of their work. Then, make a respectful request for what you’d like them to do next.
E.g. would you like them to write to the relevant Minister, make the policy proposal in a party forum, move a private member’s bill, or meet with you in one month to discuss the result of their efforts?
6) Show the politician any evidence you have that their constituents care about your issue and agree with your proposed policy.
This doesn’t have to be a poll: politicians will probably be skeptical of your capacity to accurately poll their constituents. Instead, mention the numbers of attendees at a recent local rally, letters to the editor, public meetings or lectures on the issue. Demonstrate growing momentum in public support.
Don’t expect constituent concern to be enough to move the politician to action. Most politicians won’t do something just because their constituents think it’s a good idea. They will need to think it’s a good idea too.
7) Ask the politician what they think of your proposal: do they agree with the proposed policy? Do they agree with what you want them to do about it?
This is a two-way discussion: what are their thoughts? Be honest about the shortcomings of your proposal. Don’t over simplify your issue: it’s nuanced, with many stakeholders, and you are doing them a disservice by taking a black and white stance. Try to see all sides of the issue.
If they don’t seem willing to help, find out why. Is it because they don’t agree with the proposed policy? Their fear of separating from their party’s position? Their fear of not being re-elected? If you know the real reason why they’re unwilling to act, you have a better chance of finding a way around it.
Just because your politician has worked on this issue in the past doesn’t mean they’ll automatically lend it their support now. This could even have the opposite effect: they might think they’ve done enough and other priorities need the government’s time and money now. They might think their party has no political capacity to take this issue any further at the moment, due to opposition from the public, other lobby groups, or other parties.
8) Ask the politician what they need you to do before they add their support the campaign. How can you support them?
Do they need you to find more evidence of how the proposed policy will improve the lives of their constituents? Gather pledges of support for the proposed policy from a wide range of groups? Increase the issue’s profile in the media or on social media to demonstrate community support?
If they ask something of you, settle a definite date by which you’ll give them an update on how it’s going.
9) Give them a summary.
When you leave, give your politician a printed one page summary of why the proposed policy is a good idea and what you want them to do about it, now and in the long term.
10) Thank them.
Of course, say thank you to them and their staff for holding the meeting. But also thank them publicly. Acknowledge their support at your events, on our website, in your printed publications, mention it in your op-eds. If your politician knows you’ll acknowledge their efforts publicly, they’ll be more willing to help you.
If the politician already has a view on an issue, then it’s unlikely that your meeting will change their view. Seventy-five percent of politicians and political advisers that I interviewed said that a policy campaign had never changed their opinion of a policy. But that’s not your only goal: you can raise the issue as a priority for them, and you can inform them of the arguments and counter-arguments on the issue. And if they haven’t yet formed an opinion, this discussion could be instrumental in winning them as a champion of your cause.
Emily Murray recently completed an internship with Andrew Leigh MP within the Australian National Internships Program. Her research report, Pressure Politics, can be downloaded here.
Ten "People's Maps" of the Fraser Electorate
Back in October 2011, I launched the ‘Mapping the Northside’ project to develop a people’s map of my electorate.
Belconnen Arts Centre displayed a 3m x 2m map on their wall, where people could come in and locate their favourite places in Canberra’s north – the federal electorate of Fraser that I have the privilege to represent. Belconnen Arts Centre also facilitated information sessions at Gorman House Arts Centre, Gungahlin Library, and at their own location in Emu Bank, Belconnen. Local professional artist Maryann Mussared was on hand to help with the creative process.
Popular locations included local universities, mountains, popular walking spots and community facilities such as John Knight Park in Belconnen and Gungahlin Skate Park. We turned this into a Google Map of people’s favourite places.
I’ve now joined forces with design students from the University of Canberra to put some of those key places into an infographics map. The range of options and different ways of showing key northside places was incredible and I was impressed by the students’ creativity.
You can have a look at the different ideas the students came up with at the links below. My favourite was Michelle’s, and this will appear in my next community newsletter.
What do you think?
Many thanks go to Ben Ennis Butler, the University of Canberra, Belconnen Arts Centre, Gungahlin Library and the Gorman House Arts Centre for their support on this exciting project.
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Belconnen Arts Centre displayed a 3m x 2m map on their wall, where people could come in and locate their favourite places in Canberra’s north – the federal electorate of Fraser that I have the privilege to represent. Belconnen Arts Centre also facilitated information sessions at Gorman House Arts Centre, Gungahlin Library, and at their own location in Emu Bank, Belconnen. Local professional artist Maryann Mussared was on hand to help with the creative process.
Popular locations included local universities, mountains, popular walking spots and community facilities such as John Knight Park in Belconnen and Gungahlin Skate Park. We turned this into a Google Map of people’s favourite places.
I’ve now joined forces with design students from the University of Canberra to put some of those key places into an infographics map. The range of options and different ways of showing key northside places was incredible and I was impressed by the students’ creativity.
You can have a look at the different ideas the students came up with at the links below. My favourite was Michelle’s, and this will appear in my next community newsletter.
What do you think?
- Daniel
- Dilshan
- Riley
- Jessica
- Mollie
- Kate
- Amy
- Michelle
- Jessica (Coffee Map of Canberra – scroll down)
- Kierah
Many thanks go to Ben Ennis Butler, the University of Canberra, Belconnen Arts Centre, Gungahlin Library and the Gorman House Arts Centre for their support on this exciting project.
Liberalism and Labor
I'm speaking at Per Capita in Melbourne next Wednesday, on the topic of liberalism and the ALP. Details here, and below.
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Reform Agenda Series: The Future of the Left in Australia: Embracing social liberalism?, with Andrew Leigh MP, 5 December 2012
Please join us in Melbourne for this Reform Agenda Series event featuring guest speaker Andrew Leigh MP, Member for Fraser.
Prior to entering Parliament, Andrew was a Professor of Economics at the Australian National University. Has has a PhD in Public Policy from Harvard, and has written extensively on economics and social policy. At this forum, he will be discussing why the ALP should embrace the legacy of liberalism - egalitarianism, minority rights and open markets; with a response by Dennis Glover, Per Capita Fellow, speechwriter and political columnist. This will be followed by an open Q & A session.
Venue: Corrs Chambers Westgarth - Level 36, 600 Bourke Street, Melbourne
Date: Wednesday 5 December 2012
Time: Light refreshment served from 10.30am. Forum 11.00am - 12.00pm
Cost: This is a free event
To RSVP for this event, please email Allison Orr on a.orr<AT>percapita.org.au or call 02 9310 5000.
Social Entrepreneurship
I spoke in parliament yesterday about social entrepreneurship in Canberra, discussing a breakfast meeting with social entrepreneurs and the Ben Donohue Walk and Run for Fun.
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Social Entrepreneurs, 27 November 2012http://www.youtube.com/embed/_xbwC1RiqRY
On 16 October this year I held a breakfast meeting with a small but passionate group of local social entrepreneurs: Bradley Carron-Arthur, Courtney Slone, Katrina Marson, Melanie Poole, Tony Shields and Ben Moody. The aim of the breakfast was to bring together these social entrepreneurs to share their stories, experiences and their ideas for solving some of the challenges they face. I hope in the future they can act as a brains trust for one another and for other budding social entrepreneurs. Their projects range from coordinating volunteers and boosting mental health awareness to improving Australia's international development efforts. I would like to thank them for their ideas and their efforts to assist those in need and for helping to build social capital. Social entrepreneurs are people who take an idea and with passion and persistence bring to fruition enterprises that assist those in need.
Last year Forbes magazine celebrated the work of social entrepreneurs by having the first top 30 social entrepreneurs list. Helen Costar of Forbes magazine wrote that social entrepreneurs 'unlike millions of us who recognise some kind of a problem, feel a pang of hopelessness and move on' set about fixing the problems they see in the world.
One great example of social entrepreneurship in my electorate is the Ben Donohue Run and Walk for Fun. Now in its eighth year, the Ben Donohue Run and Walk for Fun is one of the largest fun runs in the region. On 4 November 'team Leigh' joined a record 2,400 people for the six kilometre circuit around Lake Ginninderra. This year we were pleased to help the run and walk raise over $55,000.
Since its inception, the Ben Donohue Run and Walk for Fun has donated over $350,000 to its nominated charities: the Council Support Council, Ronald McDonald House Canberra and Make a Wish Australia. It has greatly helped families affected by cancer through the most difficult time and brought hope and joy to the lives of seriously ill children. I pay tribute to Ben's extraordinary parents Peter and Robin Donohue who organised the first event just months after Ben's passing. They really are social entrepreneurs that exemplify what can be achieved by those who set about fixing the problems they see.
Finally, I recognise the members of team Leigh who joined me on the Ben Donohue fun run: Kate Reid, Liesel Hickman, Shane Drumgold, Nathan Lambert, Gus Little, Emily Murray, Michael and Paul Hiscox, Alice Wade, Michael Petterson, Kurt Steel, Alice Crawford, Ethan Moody, Shobaz Kandola, David Mathews, Victor Violante, Megan Ponder, Brenton Sloane and the indefatigable Claire Daly from my office, who recruited and organised this year's splendid team.