Former Wallaby star David Pocock has used the Canberra Day holiday to lay out some of his aims in his quest to win an ACT Senate seat at the upcoming federal election due in May.
He said Monday's holiday is the annual celebration of Canberra's official founding in 1913, yet Territorians are still treated as second class citizens.
"We want the same rights and representation as other Australians," Mr Pocock, who is standing as an independent senator, says.
"Since we achieved self-governance in the late 1980s, Canberrans have had fewer rights to make decisions about our own lives and futures than people in any of the six states."
He said the Commonwealth has absolute power over the Territory, meaning it can overrule laws passed by the ACT Legislative Assembly.
The former Brumbies rugby union player says there is no reason for this to continue.
But he noted that in 2018 and again in 2021, Liberal ACT senator Zed Seselja argued against legislation that would have begun to restore Territory rights.
"The job of elected representatives is to advocate in support of the wishes of their community, not make decisions based on personal preference," Mr Pocock said.
In 2022, all Australian states will have either passed legislation relating to voluntary assisted dying or have a bill before their parliament.
"My argument is that whatever your views may be regarding specific pieces of legislation, Territorians should have the right to debate them on their merits and decide for ourselves," Mr Pocock said.
He also points out the ACT is under-represented in federal parliament
It has just two senators, while Tasmania has 12 for a similar size population.
"With only two Senators representing us, we need both standing up for Canberra, and that's what I intend to do every day on the job," he said.
"People in the ACT deserve to have their vote weighted in full at national referendums, not half that of someone living in a state, as is currently the case."
The other ACT senator is Labor's Katy Gallagher, a former ACT chief minister.
