Dec 2, 2009
A Quick Chat With Alderman Elise Archer
Elise Archer was elected as an Alderman of Hobart City Council in October 2007 and is a Liberal candidate for Denison in the 2010 Tasmanian State Election. Below is a snapshot of her views on the topic of Tas.
What sort of Tasmania do you want to leave your grandchildren?
A State that is proud of its heritage, its environment and its people. One that promotes opportunity and respects an individual’s right to achieve their own potential, without discrimination. Importantly, I would like to see a Tasmania that is tolerant but one that respects the law and the people’s right to change it through their elected representatives.
What does the Tasmanian Tiger symbol mean to you?
It symbolises some of our heritage and is recognisable as being distinctly Tasmanian. I believe it is important that we have a symbol that is synonymous with Tasmania and the Tasmanian Tiger would seem to qualify in that regard.
What would say are the key values that Tasmanians share?
I think most Tasmanians would share the belief in the right to live in a ‘free’ society (freedom of speech, choice, religion etc) with democratic values, and have a respect for humanity. We are certainly a vocal community with a strong belief in expressing our views and opinions.
As a symbol of our identity that we all see everyday, what do you think our state government branding should make us feel?
The symbol should make us feel uniquely Tasmanian – a symbol that can only be ‘Tasmanian’.
It is interesting to think about the way Tasmanians see themselves as Australian and Tasmanian. The difference is about local authenticity. How are we combining the best Australian values with an extra dimension the others don’t have. I the 21ist Century I’m not sure that dead wildlife captures the great cultural potential of this islands people.
Thank you for your insightful comments Michael. I think its worth pondering the effect being an island has on that sense of identity too. We have autonomy from the mainland through geography alone and always have, which I think is central to who we are. There is a certain feeling of almost nationhood that comes from being a self-contained society I think.