Canberra bashers - Where's my flyswat?

Masquara said :

watto23 said :

Masquara said :

You can move to New York, London or Rome and fall with love with any of those cities. But that doesn’t make you “of that city”. Why the sensitivity around the standard definition being applied to Canberra? If you weren’t born & raised here, you simply aren’t a local, sorry.

Really, I’m not sure that is a concrete rule. I wasn’t born here, my parents moved here when I was a toddler and have lived here for 38 years now. If that is not a Canberran I don’t know what is. I can understand that adults who move here are technically not Canberrans, but the longer you live in one place the more local you become and its an individuals decision to decide where they feel the most affinity to.

If you moved here as a toddler, you were “raised here” and are indeed a Canberran.

But that doesn’t fit your own definition of “born AND raised here”!!

I was born in Sydney but moved here while still at primary school. So I spend most of my childhood and all of my adult life here (40+ years). I chose to stay and raise my family here as well.
I definitely feel more of a proud Canberran then a Sydneyite (if that’s the term).

Your definition is just that – YOUR definition!

watto23 said :

Masquara said :

You can move to New York, London or Rome and fall with love with any of those cities. But that doesn’t make you “of that city”. Why the sensitivity around the standard definition being applied to Canberra? If you weren’t born & raised here, you simply aren’t a local, sorry.

Really, I’m not sure that is a concrete rule. I wasn’t born here, my parents moved here when I was a toddler and have lived here for 38 years now. If that is not a Canberran I don’t know what is. I can understand that adults who move here are technically not Canberrans, but the longer you live in one place the more local you become and its an individuals decision to decide where they feel the most affinity to.

If you moved here as a toddler, you were “raised here” and are indeed a Canberran.

Tenpoints said :

John, if I work in Canberra, shop in Canberra, generate economic activity in Canberra in the form of business revenue BUT pay land rates to the NSW government, are you going to invalidate my feedback because I don’t “live here”?

I don’t know about cross-border debts or what constitutes an equitable “fair share” of payments, but if I am ‘contributing to the economy’ then I should be allowed to voice my opinion on what is and isn’t good about the city I spend most of my time in.

If you can’t sort it out between governments, maybe you could put ACT-exempt toll booths on all the interstate road crossings to exact due payment from us freeloading NSW residents who supposedly contribute zilch to your fine city?

People who visit and experience Canberra have the right to provide feedback about the location and services provided. The same applies for Canberrans who holiday or work interstate. Whether that feedback is constructive and based on facts is up for debate, but the validity of one’s opinion should not be decided by their postcode.

The issue is the money the government cares about is the rates, rego etc etc. You may contribute to the ACT economy by working and shopping here, but there is an issue regarding where taxes need to flow.
You can have whatever opinion you would like and even be critical if you like. However, IMO being critical of the ACT government, while not paying ACT rates or voting for the ACT government is a bit rich. I’ve got friends who moved to Jerrabomberra and complain about stuff in the ACT all the time and wonders why the government won’t fix this or that! I tell them, move to Canberra pay rates here and then have your say. The border certainly does stop the whingers, they live on each side equally!

MERC600 said :

Queen_of_the_Bun said :

Masquara said :

Blen_Carmichael said :

You’re not a Canberran if you get upset over Canberra-bashing.

John actually isn’t a Canberran. He only moved to Canberra as an adult.

Me too. 20 years ago. Does that mean I am not a Canberran?

If you can say ‘ I drove my Monaro along the Monaro” as its meant, your in.

Like Flynn! 😀

John, if I work in Canberra, shop in Canberra, generate economic activity in Canberra in the form of business revenue BUT pay land rates to the NSW government, are you going to invalidate my feedback because I don’t “live here”?

I don’t know about cross-border debts or what constitutes an equitable “fair share” of payments, but if I am ‘contributing to the economy’ then I should be allowed to voice my opinion on what is and isn’t good about the city I spend most of my time in.

If you can’t sort it out between governments, maybe you could put ACT-exempt toll booths on all the interstate road crossings to exact due payment from us freeloading NSW residents who supposedly contribute zilch to your fine city?

People who visit and experience Canberra have the right to provide feedback about the location and services provided. The same applies for Canberrans who holiday or work interstate. Whether that feedback is constructive and based on facts is up for debate, but the validity of one’s opinion should not be decided by their postcode.

Queen_of_the_Bun said :

Masquara said :

Blen_Carmichael said :

You’re not a Canberran if you get upset over Canberra-bashing.

John actually isn’t a Canberran. He only moved to Canberra as an adult.

Me too. 20 years ago. Does that mean I am not a Canberran?

If you can say ‘ I drove my Monaro along the Monaro” as its meant, your in.

Masquara said :

Queen_of_the_Bun said :

drfelonious said :

fps_grandma said :

People who have never lived in or let alone visited Canberra are not really in a position to comment on Canberra. This I am sure we can all agree on.

However of all the Australian cities I’ve lived in, Canberra is the only city whose people openly speak of opposition to outsiders and sprout similar cliches in defense.

Canberra is the only city whose people speak of opposition to outsiders – are you kidding me!!??

Have you been in the vicinity of Brisbane during State of Origin, or listened to anyone from Melbourne ever? …and don’t even get me started on Perth – they are the worst – they even tried to secede from the Commonwealth at one point!

Canberra is the least xenophobic city in Australia – one of the great qualities of this city. Now granted, in response to the increasingly hysterical and ill-informed Canberra bashing from the News Ltd clowns and their fellow travellers on talkback radio, there is going to have to be a bit of a backlash, but it is reactive, rather than ingrained behaviour.

+1
It’s only the old crusty Canberrans who think because they were born and raised here, they are intrinsically better and love this city more than those who made a considered and adult choice to move here and stay who are resistant to “outsiders”.

You can move to New York, London or Rome and fall with love with any of those cities. But that doesn’t make you “of that city”. Why the sensitivity around the standard definition being applied to Canberra? If you weren’t born & raised here, you simply aren’t a local, sorry.

And how old are you? In other words how long have you lived in Canberra? By your definition a person who has lived here eighty years, but weren’t born here, would not be a local. Absolute rubbish.

Masquara said :

You can move to New York, London or Rome and fall with love with any of those cities. But that doesn’t make you “of that city”. Why the sensitivity around the standard definition being applied to Canberra? If you weren’t born & raised here, you simply aren’t a local, sorry.

Really, I’m not sure that is a concrete rule. I wasn’t born here, my parents moved here when I was a toddler and have lived here for 38 years now. If that is not a Canberran I don’t know what is. I can understand that adults who move here are technically not Canberrans, but the longer you live in one place the more local you become and its an individuals decision to decide where they feel the most affinity to.

Masquara said :

Queen_of_the_Bun said :

drfelonious said :

fps_grandma said :

People who have never lived in or let alone visited Canberra are not really in a position to comment on Canberra. This I am sure we can all agree on.

However of all the Australian cities I’ve lived in, Canberra is the only city whose people openly speak of opposition to outsiders and sprout similar cliches in defense.

Canberra is the only city whose people speak of opposition to outsiders – are you kidding me!!??

Have you been in the vicinity of Brisbane during State of Origin, or listened to anyone from Melbourne ever? …and don’t even get me started on Perth – they are the worst – they even tried to secede from the Commonwealth at one point!

Canberra is the least xenophobic city in Australia – one of the great qualities of this city. Now granted, in response to the increasingly hysterical and ill-informed Canberra bashing from the News Ltd clowns and their fellow travellers on talkback radio, there is going to have to be a bit of a backlash, but it is reactive, rather than ingrained behaviour.

+1
It’s only the old crusty Canberrans who think because they were born and raised here, they are intrinsically better and love this city more than those who made a considered and adult choice to move here and stay who are resistant to “outsiders”.

You can move to New York, London or Rome and fall with love with any of those cities. But that doesn’t make you “of that city”. Why the sensitivity around the standard definition being applied to Canberra? If you weren’t born & raised here, you simply aren’t a local, sorry.

Why did you omit Paris?

Queen_of_the_Bun said :

drfelonious said :

fps_grandma said :

People who have never lived in or let alone visited Canberra are not really in a position to comment on Canberra. This I am sure we can all agree on.

However of all the Australian cities I’ve lived in, Canberra is the only city whose people openly speak of opposition to outsiders and sprout similar cliches in defense.

Canberra is the only city whose people speak of opposition to outsiders – are you kidding me!!??

Have you been in the vicinity of Brisbane during State of Origin, or listened to anyone from Melbourne ever? …and don’t even get me started on Perth – they are the worst – they even tried to secede from the Commonwealth at one point!

Canberra is the least xenophobic city in Australia – one of the great qualities of this city. Now granted, in response to the increasingly hysterical and ill-informed Canberra bashing from the News Ltd clowns and their fellow travellers on talkback radio, there is going to have to be a bit of a backlash, but it is reactive, rather than ingrained behaviour.

+1
It’s only the old crusty Canberrans who think because they were born and raised here, they are intrinsically better and love this city more than those who made a considered and adult choice to move here and stay who are resistant to “outsiders”.

You can move to New York, London or Rome and fall with love with any of those cities. But that doesn’t make you “of that city”. Why the sensitivity around the standard definition being applied to Canberra? If you weren’t born & raised here, you simply aren’t a local, sorry.