Nicole Lawder MLA (Canberra Liberals) is Shadow Minister for Seniors.

This weekend, we should be celebrating Grandparents’ Day. It’s a day to say “thank you” to grandparents for their care and support and for sharing their knowledge, experience, and traditions with younger generations.

Instead of celebrating the role of grandparents and older people in our lives, the ACT Labor-Greens Government has once again trotted out a familiar refrain – their disdain and dislike of older Canberrans. Minister for Seniors Emma Davidson went on an extraordinary rant recently in the Assembly, much of which was deemed unparliamentary, and she was forced to withdraw the comments. Included in her speech was a disparagement of anyone over 50. As the Speaker [Joy Burch MLA] commented in her findings: “The member may wish to reflect on the compatibility of broad age-based generalisations with the portfolios she holds.”

Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence from the Government, one might even say a trend. The Chief Minister [Andrew Barr] has long made it clear he was only interested in talking to younger generations — he apparently wishes to live in a utopian state so that, as soon as you become a senior, you leave Canberra, and the government does not need to consult with you anymore.

In fact, to take that even further, this government has often denigrated the input of community councils, claiming that they are “this geriatric mob who just sit in their place … It is just nothing but a self-help group” and the “old persons’ club called the Tuggeranong Community Council”.

While some of the community councils may have a number of older Canberrans on their executive, this is more indicative of the fact that they now have the time to devote to community activities, and they want to share the many years of experience and expertise that they have gathered over their lifetime, in the workforce or otherwise. They want to use that experience for the betterment of all Canberrans, and one of the ways they can do that is through the community councils.

In the ACT, nearly 30 per cent of the population is aged 50-plus, according to the 2021 Census, or more than 134,000 people. This figure will increase as our population ages. This government, in their desire to be hip and trendy, are dismissive of older Canberrans – the people who have spent their lives building and contributing to the wealth of the city, making it what it is today so that it can be enjoyed by everyone.

Our older Canberrans deserve better, and the Minister should apologise for her ageist statement. Even better, the Chief Minister should remove her from the portfolio of Minister for Seniors.