Page 1586 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 10 May 2017
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to access the wi-fi network, according to the media report. This and the relocation proceeding without any proper examination of the cost-benefit analysis being conducted into the move underlines the fact that this has not been about a strategic placement of the public service but rather matches the allegations that have been made in a range of quarters that this is a pork-barrelling exercise in the Deputy Prime Minister’s electorate.
Of course, comparing the number of jobs created by the Sapphire Wind Farm and the relocation of the veterinary and medicines authority is not completely appropriate because, as I said earlier, the ACT’s investments in renewable energy are actually creating new jobs and opportunities in the electorate of New England as well as in the ACT. By contrast, the relocation of the APVMA does not create any new jobs; it simply takes them from Canberra and moves them somewhere else.
The federal government’s solution to job creation appears to be to simply raid Canberra’s public service offices and relocate the staff into their own electorates. The Greens reject the notion that Canberra’s workforce is another means of pork-barrelling by federal ministers. Rather than searching for public servants to transfer out of the national capital, away from colleagues and the organisational infrastructure that exists around the federal public service, the federal government should instead focus on getting their act together when it comes to energy policy.
As the Sapphire Wind Farm experience shows, a strong commitment to the transition to cleaner sources of energy can create real opportunities for regional and rural communities, creating more jobs and economic activity. That is a really valuable point to underline because we are seeing, as these projects are being developed across Australia—and there is significant investment going on despite and perhaps in contrast to the efforts of the federal government—that they are largely being constructed in regional and rural areas, bringing jobs and skills to areas that desperately need them and providing ongoing sources of economic opportunity as well as an expansion of different skills to come to these areas.
In addition to supporting this motion—many other members have spoken to it today and I do not have any further comments to add in terms of the text of the motion; I think it is perfectly self-explanatory—I am keen today to highlight the economic opportunities that the ACT is creating through our strong support for the renewable energy sector. The fact that we are striving to have 100 per cent renewable energy electricity provision in the territory is seeing a range of investments taking place in rural and regional areas.
That is another benefit: not only are we doing a great job here in the ACT of getting a good environmental outcome for our energy sources, not only are we getting steady prices over the 20 years through the contract processes that have been used, but the transition the ACT is making is providing economic opportunities in areas that really need them. I am pleased on behalf of the Greens today to support the motion brought forward by Ms Cheyne.
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