Page 1863 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 4 May 2011
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The Greens support what Ms Porter has called for through the motion today. It is important that the ACT public service know they can access voluntary leave and are encouraged to do so. A number of people would not know they can access that, so I think it is important to promote that. There would not only be immediate benefits to community organisations in having more people involved in volunteering work, but it would also assist public servants in building stronger relationships with the community sector and having a greater appreciation for the recipients of community services and the conditions in which community organisations work. It is very much about empathy and building trust.
The Greens would be pleased to see MLAs leading by example and volunteering hours. Many of us already volunteer, as has already been pointed out today. I acknowledge that the work we generally do in the community involves volunteering our time. Some of the organisations which I have personally been involved in over recent years include the RSPCA, where I volunteered for a number of years, the Women’s Electoral Lobby, Amnesty International and refugee groups. Clean Up Australia Day is something I and many other members here do every year. There was also a great day recently when several members from the Assembly and also federal members from all political parties helped garden at a new house that Tandem had opened at Lions haven at Kambah.
As many people know, I do Bollywood dancing, and that involves fundraising work, where we perform at fundraising events run by the school and also for other organisations, including quite a number of events for the Indian community in Canberra. That is always good fun, as it is doing something you enjoy, as voluntary work is, but it also involves making a contribution to groups involved with the Indian community as well as fundraising for other organisations and activities.
Ms Le Couteur has been involved at a very high level with the Australian Conservation Foundation. In fact, she was on their national council for 17 years, which is quite an achievement. She has been a member of the Australian Solar Energy Society for over 30 years, and she has volunteered for Solar House Day since about 1988. Ms Hunter has had a long record with the Red Cross and Meals on Wheels, and Mr Rattenbury, as we know, for many years was involved in sporting organisations and worked for Greenpeace before being elected. Any of us who have worked in a paid or unpaid capacity for non-government organisations knows that there is a significant amount of out-of-hours time that is given to these organisations.
Greens staff, who are a key support for Greens’ MLAs, also have a proud history of volunteering. Some of their involvement in current and recent times includes the Wilderness Society, the Conservation Council, the Mt Jerrabomberra Preservation Society, Brownsville community campaign centre, community radio 2XX, Community Broadcasting Foundation, the ACT Council of Culture and Community Organisations, the ANU food co-op, Mental Illness Education ACT, Home Birth Australia, the Australian College of Midwives, ACT Welfare and Legal Rights Centre, Red Cross and Life Education. I have to give extra brownie points to the person who did Life Education. I will not say who; they know who they are. They dressed up as a giraffe, so they get extra brownie points for that act of volunteering. There has also
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