Not long after becoming Prime Minister, I sat down with the Canberra Times and said I intended to be based in Canberra and maximise my time here as much as I could.
The relaxed nature, the ease of getting around, our important and enthralling cultural institutions and the weekend walks up Mount Ainslie or around the lake - when I get time to experience Canberra I see the huge benefits of living in our great national capital.
While we need to protect the institutions and the culture that we all love about the bush capital, it's also important that Canberra is modern, vibrant and as strong as the nation it serves.
That's why, after a decade of neglect of, and frankly scorn for, the national capital from the Liberals, my government is investing in Canberra to support a more liveable, connected and thriving city.
In this year's Budget, we'll inject $50 million to plan for stage 2B of the Canberra light rail, which will contribute towards the design work for a connection between the current light rail line all the way south to Woden.
Canberrans are already experiencing the benefits of being able to commute to work from Gungahlin to the City Centre via light rail.
Once stage 2B is completed, southsiders will have the same opportunity.
Ensuring the liveability of the ACT isn't just about how residents and tourists can quickly, easily, and cleanly get around - it's also about protecting the future of our national institutions that add so much to the territory.
Since its establishment in 1981, the Australian Institute of Sport campus in Bruce has supported generations of Australian athletes.
Whilst the AIS has been the envy of the world in the past, it is clear that other nations have replicated it and, in many cases, surpassed our once world-leading benchmark.
The upcoming Budget will ensure the Australian Institute of Sport remains in the capital, where it belongs, and ensure it once again becomes the world-leading high-performance centre it was designed to be.
With that in mind - my Government will provide $249.7 million for the Australian Sports Commission to revitalise the AIS.
In addition, there will be a further $10 million for the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts to work with the ACT government to develop a Bruce Precinct Masterplan - ensuring the Bruce site is welcoming and fit for purpose for visitors, athletes and their families alike.
The Canberra community will benefit from strong, secure jobs from these announcements, and we'll have more to say at budget time about further investments for the ACT and other programs of national importance.
The ACT was ignored by the Liberals for a decade. They did nothing to invest in the future of the territory.
What is crystal clear is that under my Government - Canberra will always get the support, investment and respect that Australia's national capital deserves.
This opinion piece was first published in The Canberra Times on Saturday, 11 May 2024.
