Page 2478 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 18 August 1993
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Another initiative is the increase of places available to the landcare and environment action program, or LEAP, which provides a combination of work experience and training in environment related projects for unemployed young people. The Federal Government has also decided to remove the 18-week waiting period for rent assistance for young people, to help alleviate the problems experienced by young unemployed in finding safe and secure housing.
The Federal Government's social justice strategy extends to people with disabilities. The initiatives announced in the Federal budget aim to ensure that people with a disability have the same rights, choices and opportunities as others. These initiatives include the introduction of a new supported wages system which will improve access to jobs and rates of pay for people with a disability, particularly those with more severe disabilities. As well, the Federal Government has announced a two-year pilot program called Jobnet, which will increase training and employment opportunities for school leavers with a disability. Mr Deputy Speaker, I have touched on the many and varied elements of the Federal Government's budget which continue and expand on Labor's commitment to social justice - a commitment that all Labor governments support and that this one in particular continues to work towards.
MR DE DOMENICO (4.05): How ironic it was for Ms Ellis to finish off that riveting speech, obviously written by Mr Dawkins or somebody else on the Federal hill, by talking about social justice. She said quite clearly that she was proud of this Federal budget because of what it did for social justice. Let us have a look at what it did for social justice: Funding for the National Museum of Australia, $3.3m - not the $5m that was promised this year. Breaking a promise - - -
Mr Lamont: I raise a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. I think the staff note he was just handed to try to give him a prompting is not necessarily what he is now reading from.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: There is no point of order, Mr Lamont.
MR DE DOMENICO: I am glad that you interjected, Mr Lamont. A lot was said about Fightback. The staff note said that, unlike the Labor Party, which has just slugged every person who uses a car with leaded petrol - that is most of the people who live in Banks and Conder, the people you are supposed to be caring about, and for whom the hike will be 10c eventually - we were abolishing the fuel tax totally under Fightback. That is what the staff note says. But keep up the interjections. I will take them on as they come.
In other words, Mr Deputy Speaker, there was a breach of faith. They promised $5m to Canberra; we got $3.3m. That is a $1.7m breach of faith before we start anything else. Fuel taxes are to go up by 6c a litre for unleaded fuel, with a full 10c a litre on leaded fuel. What sort of people is this going to affect? It is not going to affect the millionaires; it is going to affect the very people Ms Ellis talks about in relation to social justice. It is going to affect the poor, it is going to affect the unemployed, and it is going to affect those women who stay at home now, driving the kids around Canberra. As we know, we are the most car-dependent community in this country, and they are the people who are going to be affected. What is socially just about that? I would walk away too, if I were a member of the Labor Party. Our poorest people, who cannot afford to move up from their old cars, will be paying at least $5 more a tankful.
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