As an Independent sitting on the crossbench, I have the capacity to bring a motion where I seek to formally call on the government to undertake certain actions. My ability to bring motions is quite limited, as they are scheduled for set times throughout the year in proportion to the number of seats I occupy in the Assembly (i.e. one!). So I’ve been using every other mechanism available — asking questions in Question Time, amending and speaking on motions from other Members, and raising key issues in debates and through statements — to voice the concerns of our community.
In last week’s sitting, a whole range of issues were on the table, from local infrastructure challenges to broader policy debates. My priority is always to focus first on the matters that directly affect the people of my electorate, before turning to wider issues that will shape the future of our city and of the people who call it home.
The first sitting week of autumn was a showcase of the diversity of challenges that we’re grappling with in the Territory, including issues affecting small businesses, community safety, gambling and fossil fuel industry influence, and planning and development.
Knife crime debate
The recent incident where a machete was produced in a shopping mall shocked many Canberrans. It’s just not what we would expect to happen here. Knife crime has no place in the ACT and its presence in our community threatens the safety and social harmony that we as Canberrans pride ourselves on.
It‘s vital that any measures brought forward in response to this incident are evidence-based, targeted and balanced. A motion was brought last week by Liberal MLA Peter Cain to introduce ’Jack’s Law’, which would give police the power to search people with a metal-detector wand without reasonable suspicion.
We all want the police to be able to protect themselves, us and our loved ones. While I can see the temptation to introduce Jack’s Law in the ACT, my view is that doing so would be a gross breach of personal liberties and due process, and would not actually address the cause of this crime. This proposed response isn’t proportionate when you consider the relatively low frequency of knife crime in the ACT, and the fact that its introduction in other states has proven to be largely ineffective. In Queensland, the first state to introduce this legislation, only 1 in 100 searches uncovered a knife and racial profiling was shown to feature significantly in the search process, with disproportionate targeting of First Nations people, people of colour, young people, and other vulnerable cohorts.
Put simply, I don’t think Canberra should be a place where police can stop and search anyone, without reasonable suspicion, just in case they might be carrying a knife. This is not what I believe the majority of Canberrans want for our city.
I rose to my feet when this matter was debated to call on the government to consider the evidence — to consider what really works to prevent knife crime in our communities. I successfully moved an amendment to Mr Cain’s motion focused on wraparound supports to address the underlying causes of violent crime, like poor mental health and substance use.
The Assembly ultimately agreed to consider the evidence base and report back on next steps, rather than committing to introducing ’Jack’s Law’ type legislation in the ACT.
Light rail construction and business in the city
Our small business community has shown incredible resilience and adaptability over the last five years. As light rail construction continues, and gets pretty serious around London Circuit, I’ve heard from small business owners who are feeling the impact first hand. Reduced foot traffic, changing customer patterns, and the challenges of keeping doors open amid ongoing disruptions are a huge stressor for these business owners. Their determination is inspiring, but they need more than just perseverance, especially on the back of a pandemic, cost-of-living crisis, and persistently high interest rates.
That’s why I backed the Opposition’s calls for stronger support measures for affected businesses. Having run a small business, I know the human impact of these kinds of pressures, and my sense is that the government isn’t really taking that seriously. Small business owners are community members too, and don’t deserve to be treated as collateral damage. While important new infrastructure is vital to building Canberra’s future, we also need to ensure the people who make our city what it is aren’t left behind in the process.
Reinvigorating the Dickson Shops
A number of concerns have been raised with me from people in our community about the Dickson Shops. Issues have been left to worsen for too long, and it’s clear that business owners and local community members alike want to see real action now.
I wrote to the Chief Minister in December after hearing from many locals about increasing antisocial behaviour, decreasing foot traffic and the general physical deterioration around Dickson. I was happy to learn that Liberal MLA Elizabeth Lee and Greens MLA Shane Rattenbury made representations to the Chief Minister as well, and I was very supportive of the motion brought by the ACT Greens on the topic last week. The ACT Government confirmed it has established a cross-directorate working group comprising all the government areas one would hope to see coming together to tackle these challenges—including health, housing, planning, policing, city services, and the City Renewal Authority.
Dickson is — or should be — a key community hub for locals, and it desperately needs a revamp. The working group is a good first step, and I will keep the pressure on to make sure it actually delivers results. The Assembly will receive an update on its work in October, and, hoping to avoid bandaid solutions, I successfully amended the Greens’ motion to include a second update in the first sitting week of 2026. My amendment requires the government to report on available data trends “showing the level of local health, mental health and homelessness service provision; police complaints about antisocial behaviour, security incidents and bicycle thefts; and commercial vacancy rates at the Dickson Shops.” The last thing we want is for this working group to be another box-ticking exercise that doesn’t actually create positive change.
Responding to the poor state of footpaths in Dickson, Ainslie and much of Kurrajong, I also amended the motion to expand the working group’s remit to look at pedestrian access to and throughout the precinct. Revitalising the Dickson Shops won’t be much use for people with mobility restrictions if they can’t access them.
My final amendment echoed community calls for an increased police presence at the shops — not to cuff people and carry them away but to help increase feelings of community safety, including in relation to potentially non-criminal antisocial behaviour that has become more common at the shops. Most residents don’t want a heavy-handed response to what are ultimately social issues, and instead want people facing complex challenges in their lives to be provided with the support they need. With that said, I’m hopeful that having a bit more of a police presence will increase feelings of safety until we see the positive impacts of the wraparound social supports that have been promised.
Alongside the work the government is doing, I’d encourage residents to keep supporting businesses in Dickson and doing everything possible to bring back the social connection that is possible at your ‘local’, as we hopefully see problematic behaviour reduced and the accessibility and aesthetic appeal of the area improved. And if you’re a regular at the Dickson Shops, please let me know whether or not you notice meaningful changes taking place over the next few months.
Banning gambling and fossil fuel industry sponsorships in schools
I believe it is incumbent on people in power to protect our most vulnerable, which includes deciding what we do and don’t want to normalise for our kids. That’s why I voted in support of a Greens motion to ban fossil fuel and gambling industry sponsorships in ACT public schools last week.
I think we’re right to question fossil fuel companies’ motives for school sponsorships. Fossil fuels aren’t a consumer product, so what’s the purpose of, effectively, marketing them to impressionable children? The only possible answer is that it helps them perpetuate their social licence in the face of the existential threat posed by the renewable energy transition. We can, and should, educate our kids without the help of the fossil fuel industry.
There’s also broad community support to ban gambling advertising, both nationally and locally. 97 per cent of respondents to a recent ACT Government surveyindicated they wanted to see a ban. Despite a very strong push, particularly from Senator David Pocock, to implement a national ban, the federal government has continued to drag its feet in the face of immense industry lobbying. I see it as our job as local Members to step in and fill the void.
Like almost everyone I’m hearing from, I want to see a ban that reaches into every place the gambling industry reaches, particularly where it’s most likely to come into contact with children. We need to tackle the insidious link between sports culture and unregulated promotion of betting and gambling practices, and I took the opportunity to speak to this when sharing my views on the Greens’ motion. I’ll be chasing this up with the relevant Minister, who has shown some openness to pursuing a gambling advertising ban at the territory level.
Nowhere to turn for First Nations women
Some of the concerns people are bringing to me are absolutely heartbreaking. I was contacted early last week with some disturbing stories about unmet need for family and domestic crisis support for women in our community. I was humbled and deeply appreciative of the First Nations women who shared their stories of struggle, fear and resilience in the face of domestic and family violence, three of which I recounted in the Assembly last week. Their courage in speaking out sharpened my understanding of just how urgent the need is for better services and support in the ACT.
After hearing that First Nations women continue to be turned away, or are reluctant to contact mainstream service providers for fears of the consequences for their partners and children, I wrote to Minister Paterson on Friday. I called for the establishment of a specialist, First-Nations-community-led, culturally safe family and domestic violence crisis service in the ACT. Such a service does not currently exist, which is alarming and has been described to me by local First Nations leaders as a glaring gap in our FDV support network. I also issued a joint statement alongside Tanya Keed, the former Chair of the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body, calling for this gap to be addressed.
Coggan’s Bakery
Coggan’s Bakery is a heritage-listed building in Braddon that was built in 1925 - making this year its 100th anniversary. Given that Old Parliament House opened in 1927, it’s easy to imagine how iconic the bakery was as a core feature of the new capital.
The bakery has been owned and operated by a number of different Canberrans, and was heritage listed in 2011. I know that there are varying views in the community about its current state and its potential, and having heard from a few locals about this, I lined up a casual chat on site last Friday.
I did some digging and learned that the previous owner had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on rates and plans to revamp the building while retaining its heritage value. Unfortunately, after five years working toward development approval, they were unable to get the project over the line and, in November last year, reluctantly sold the site.
I know that for some of the nearby residents, the site is considered an eyesore. It’s very poorly maintained, heavily graffitied, and is often littered. The slip into decline has seen some former fans of this architect-designed building now wondering if it can still be restored. But I think this is a real opportunity and I’m keen to collaborate with the ACT Government and the new owners to reactivate the building, celebrate its heritage in its 100th year, and make sure that community voices are included in any plans for its future.
I’m trying to get in touch with the new owner to find out what their plans are. I’m also trying to understand how government red tape may hinder progress, as happened with the previous owner, and am learning more about our heritage laws. It’s not entirely clear what obligations are put on owners of heritage sites and how they’re enforced, so I’m chasing the Heritage Minister’s office for more information.
Canberra Day Appeal Fun Run
Often when we think of charities and people in need, our gaze shifts abroad. But here in Canberra, sadly, there are so many people who need support. We are fortunate to have a number of amazing community service organisations working hard to provide that support.
I’ve been vocal about our community sector being overworked and stretched thin. In real terms, funding to many service providers has not risen with population or CPI, despite growing need and the increased cost of service delivery. Local community service providers tell me they’re at breaking point.
So I was thrilled when my whole office registered to participate in the Canberra Day Appeal Fun Run, which raises much-needed awareness and funds for Hands Across Canberra and the network of local charities they support.
Congratulations to the almost 1,000 participants who ran or walked 2.5km, 5km or 10km around the lake on Monday morning. Thank you to Hands Across Canberra for bringing everyone together and using this event to raise tens of thousands of dollars for local charities.
My team wore our Canberra Rape Crisis Centre tees in support of one of the many vitally important community organisations in the Hands Across Canberra network.
It was great to see Assembly colleagues there too, including Liberal MLAs Chiaka Barry and Mark Parton, and Greens Leader Shane Rattenbury.
The Assembly is sitting again next week, so I’m sure I’ll have plenty more to update you on soon.
Thank you for taking an interest in the work of my office. Please reach out any time on [email protected] or (02) 6205 1475, or come along to one of my upcoming mobile office events in Lyneham or Watson (RSVP here).