Page 1446 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 1 June 2022
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cuts and outsourcing which has shifted much work outside Canberra. I note that, right up to the bitter end, former Prime Minister Morrison was blaming public servants for policy and delivery failings, and planned to cut another $2.7 billion out of the public service to pay for election pork-barrelling elsewhere in Australia.
It is now, frankly, a relief to have a federal government that respects the role of the Australian public service in serving our nation, a government that understands the need for the public service to be primarily based in the national capital, and a government that values the hard work and dedication of public servants.
Like the territory government, the federal government understands that a secure job is about more than paying off a mortgage, paying the rent or putting dinner on the table; it is about giving people meaning and purpose in their lives. That is why the federal Labor Party went to the election with a commitment to create more secure local jobs, by investing in fee-free TAFE and more university places—something that the ACT will benefit from, perhaps more, on a per capita basis. than most other jurisdictions—and by introducing and arguing for better pay and conditions for workers. That episode towards the end of the campaign, with the argument over a wage rise for those on the minimum wage, truly typified the difference between the two parties.
Locally, it is why federal Labor committed to contribute to our new major CIT campus at Woden. This is a practical example of the sort of cooperation that we will see in the years ahead. They specifically targeted their support to help at-risk students to have secure accommodation, complete their training and get a good job in our labour market. That is, again, a strong values statement that we warmly welcome.
The federal government will also work with businesses to invest in manufacturing and renewables. For the jurisdiction that has the highest per capita uptake of electric vehicles, we are delighted that they will introduce Australia’s first national electric vehicle strategy—something that has been stalled for a decade under the previous government.
Like the territory government, the federal government sees real climate action not only as an essential step to protect this planet, but also as an opportunity to support the growth of new sectors of the economy and the creation of new jobs—importantly, whilst ensuring that no-one is left behind.
The ACT government supports a strong job creation program in Canberra by investing in the infrastructure that our growing city needs. As we are all familiar with in this place, and as we debate regularly, we have invested in important projects across health, education and sustainable transport. This includes the expansion of the Canberra Hospital, the building and upgrading of local schools and TAFE, and extending our city’s sustainable transport network.
Of course, these projects are not only creating jobs during their construction phase; they are also allowing us to hire more healthcare professionals and teachers as we work to achieve our target of 250,000 local jobs by 2025. We are well on track to reach that goal.
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