Page 1618 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 2 June 2021
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The government is also making it easier and more affordable for Canberrans to transition to electric vehicles. Just last month we announced a policy that will allow Canberrans who purchase new or second-hand zero-emission vehicles to have two years of free registration. This, combined with existing initiatives around not applying motor vehicle stamp duty to the purchase of these vehicles, makes a real difference to their affordability. We know that an important consideration for people when making the decision to purchase an EV is where it can be charged. That is why the government has committed to rolling out at least 50 new charging points across Canberra over the coming 12 months.
The ACT will continue to be a leader in our country and our region on climate action as we take the next important steps towards a zero-emissions future. But in doing so, it is important that we ensure vulnerable Canberrans are not left behind, whilst also creating sustainable jobs in the renewable energy sector. So in the ACT we do that hard work on the ground in support of households, businesses and families. I believe that all of this combined lends greater authority and credibility to our support for the call for an international treaty along the lines of Ms Clay’s motion.
The motion accurately reflects ACT government policy and the ACT’s leading role in Australia to address climate change and, very importantly, our desire to make this an equitable transition. Whilst it is fair to say—and many would agree—that international processes on climate action appear to drag on interminably, the more national and sub-national governments that lend their voices to the call, the quicker we will achieve consistent global action. I have made the observation in this place on numerous occasions that within Australia it is reassuring that states and territories—across the political divide, I might add—have filled the void on climate action in this country in the last decade, as, depressingly, at a commonwealth level we have seen the continuation of political games on this most significant issue.
So this is a good opportunity for the ACT to join an international call. I believe that we are well credentialled to do so in light of all of the policies, initiatives and achievements that we have in place. We have a credible voice in this debate, so I thank Ms Clay for bringing forward her motion today and I commend it to the Assembly.
MS CASTLEY (Yerrabi) (3.34): I welcome the opportunity to speak about the importance of our environment on behalf of the Canberra Liberals. The Canberra Liberals believe that nature must be protected and respected. Since 2016 the Canberra Liberals have supported our local climate change targets as they have evolved, including the 100 per cent renewable electricity by 2020, 40 per cent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2020, and the longer-term target of zero emissions by 2045, plus the five-yearly interim targets.
The Canberra Liberals’ support for these goals means that the ACT is the first jurisdiction in Australia to have tripartisan support for local greenhouse gas emission targets, which is significant and worth celebrating. Despite the Canberra Liberals’ ongoing support for these targets, it is unfortunate that the Labor-Greens government has a poor record—a record of non-consultation across the Assembly on such
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