Page 2635 - Week 09 - Thursday, 16 September 2021

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(b) COVID-19 has been ruthless in exploiting social inequity around the world and the current outbreak in the ACT is having a disproportionate effect on already vulnerable people; and

(c) it is precisely the people most affected by the current COVID-19 outbreak that are some of the most likely to seek assistance from the ACT’s community sector;

(3) thanks the ACT community sector for their significant contribution to the ACT Government’s response to COVD-19 and invaluable support for Canberrans facing disadvantage; and

(4) calls on the ACT Government to:

(a) continue to work closely with the ACT community sector in the Government’s response to COVID-19;

(b) examine options to provide financial support and security to community sector organisations during this period, including:

(i) providing security of funding for ACT community sector organisations impacted by the delayed budget;

(ii) providing as much flexibility as possible for all ACT community sector organisations contracted to provide non-COVID related services, noting how important the ongoing provision of those services is to the ACT;

(iii) providing rent relief for all ACT community sector organisations renting from the ACT Property Group;

(iv) increasing the indexation of contracts to meet the Consumer Price Index;

(v) considering the impact of the recent increase to the superannuation guarantee percentage and the Fair Work equal remuneration decision when determining budget allocations to ACT community sector organisations; and

(vi) providing a temporary rebate on payroll tax;

(d) report back to the Assembly on the above by 10 November 2021.

COVID-19 has been ruthless in exploiting social inequity around the world, and Canberra has not been immune to this. I rise today to speak to the motion circulated in my name that highlights the significant impact that COVID-19 has had on vulnerable communities in Canberra. This includes people living in poverty, people who are homeless, people who have alcohol and other drug dependencies, people working in the gig economy and recent migrants.

From the start, but evermore stark now, we have known that this pandemic has separated the haves and have-nots from every walk of life, be that the business community, as we have just discussed, or those who are living on the absolute margins in our city. This motion draws to stark attention and, frankly, has been a fantastic advocacy tool to highlight the experiences of the disadvantaged in this city

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