The Canberra Liberals are cautiously optimistic that domestic adoptions in the ACT may soon be completed in a timely manner now that a government report, ‘Review of the Domestic Adoption Process in the ACT,’ offers clear recommendations for making this happen, Shadow Minister for Families, Youth and Community Services Elizabeth Kikkert said today. “The domestic adoption process in the ACT has been filled with needless delays. I have spoken with constituents who have spent as

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I am delighted to bring this matter of public importance in my name to the Assembly today. The ACT Government’s role is to provide excellent local services to the people whom they represent and were elected to serve, and road maintenance is an important part of these local services. It is certainly a matter of public importance to Canberrans. I spoke with many thousands of people as I was campaigning last year, and the poor quality of the ACT’s roads

Thank you, Madam Speaker. This sitting week has been a time for us to discuss what we can do to improve the Australian Capital Territory and to better serve and support the people we represent. We feel the weight of our responsibilities, and I know that the concerns raised by my constituents have weighed very heavily on my mind. I will continue to strive for changes that will lift burdens from individuals and families and will make their lives better. At this time, however,

In February it was my honour to join Canberra’s Mon Community in celebrating the 70th anniversary of Mon National Day, held at Dickson College. This annual observance has been conducted by the Mon people since 1947 in commemoration of the founding of their ancient capital of Hongsawadi in AD 825. An Italian trader who visited this bustling city in 1583 described it as so filled with temples that he could not number them. The main part of the city was a perfect square, surroun

As the Shadow Minister for Multicultural Affairs, I am delighted to speak on the matter before us this afternoon: the importance of the lunar new year to Canberrans. Canberra justifiably prides itself on being a city with a richly multicultural population. Residents of the ACT literally come from every continent and most of the world’s nations, all with a wonderfully diverse array of cultural expressions, languages, beliefs and practices. I myself am a migrant from a tiny Pac

I seek leave to make a brief statement in relation to the petition that I have presented. *** Madam Speaker, I have presented a petition signed by 1,329 Canberra residents calling on the ACT Government to install traffic control lights at the intersection of Tillyard Drive and Ginninderra Drive. This dangerous intersection is a very serious issue in my own neighbourhood – one that affects not only my family and me but also many who live in my electorate of Ginninderra and tho

ADDRESS FOR MON NATIONAL DAY, DICKSON COLLEGE, 11 FEBRUARY 2017 What an honour it is to be here with all of you today and to have this opportunity to say a few words! To begin, I wish to acknowledge Mr Siri Mon Chan, president of the Australia Mon Association, as well as Elder Nai Pe Thein Zar, Elder Nai Bein and Elder Nai Layehtaw Wuvannabhum. I also wish to acknowledge my colleagues from the ACT Legislative Assembly, Ms Suzanne Orr and Mr Shane Rattenbury, plus Mr John Gunn

Life can be tough for Isaac, who has an intellectual disability and struggles with basic learning and communication skills, but that doesn’t stop him from making a name for himself in the Canberra community. With his big, irresistible smile and the support of family and friends, Isaac now runs Isaac Delivers, a small business that provides regular deliveries throughout the Canberra region. ACT Shadow Minister for Families, Youth and Community Services, Elizabeth Kikkert had t

Have you ever tried to find the words needed to help or uplift a spouse, a friend or a child ... and then had the perfect words come to you? Or maybe you have been able to see clearly with your mind’s eye exactly what a finished painting would look like before you even picked up your brush. Perhaps you have planned a speech or a meeting and knew precisely the message you needed to share. Have you ever felt prompted to take a course of action that at first seemed irrational or