Newly elected Independent Member for Kurrajong, Thomas Emerson MLA, has released video footage and a written copy of his inaugural speech, delivered in the ACT Legislative Assembly on Thursday 5 December 2024.

In a speech recounting lessons learned from his experience with chronic pain and the Independents for Canberra movement, Mr Emerson called on his Assembly colleagues to take action for the sake of those for whom Canberra was not the second-most liveable city in the world.

“It isn’t a liveable city for the young man who introduced himself to me at my local shops and, despite sleeping rough in a tent nearby, couldn’t get homelessness services on the phone to seek help,” said Mr Emerson.

“It isn’t a liveable city for the woman I met recently who has been walking with a cane, waiting for a hip replacement in our public health system since 2018.

It isn’t a liveable city for the parents I met who lost children to catastrophic road accidents involving repeat offenders.”

Mr Emerson said politicians needed to show greater ambition in offering young Canberrans a future they could feel excited about. 

“Hopelessness has become normalised. The climate is changing rapidly. 65 local species face extinction.

Eco-anxiety has left more than 50 per cent of young people fearing the future, while 80 per cent of our youth believe politicians think too short term.”

Mr Emerson was critical of people in power for showing complacency in the face of issues that had reached crisis point, questioning the progressive credentials of the ACT as he cited alarming statistics about the level of disadvantage in the nation’s capital.

“The ACT has the highest rate of persistent homelessness in the country. The longest category 2 surgery wait times. The highest Indigenous incarceration gap. The worst criminal reoffending rates. The second-largest disparity in educational outcomes between disadvantaged children and their advantaged classmates.

“Too many people are being left behind.”

Mr Emerson called on fellow Members to use their privileged position to serve those without privilege.

“People want politicians to be more than administrators. They want politicians to be leaders; to take responsibility for what is and isn’t happening in our community.”

Mr Emerson’s full speech notes are available here, with high-resolution footage from the Chamber viewable here and downloadable here.