Page 2132 - Week 06 - Thursday, 8 June 2017
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in responding to these challenges, the budget reflects many commitments the Greens made during the election campaign and demonstrates the benefits of a Labor-Greens government and the parliamentary agreement made by both parties.
We are proud that the Greens, as the party of courage and community, have worked successfully in government and on the crossbench to assist in transforming the ACT into a beacon for progressive Australia. We have shown the country that we can be a socially fair and equitable place, economically viable and, importantly, environmentally sustainable. As a result, the ACT is leading the way on 21st century indicators such as renewable energy investment, justice reinvestment and preventative health.
The Greens have worked hard to collaborate with the community on our plan for a fairer and more sustainable city, and we are starting to see that become a reality. The Greens are pleased to see light rail rolling out in north Canberra and believe it is the right move to shape Canberra into an inclusive and interconnected city of the future. Our vision is for a high quality 21st century transport network right across this city, and we are pleased to see that work has begun on stage 2 of light rail, to Woden. Transforming public transport is crucial to responding to the challenges of congestion, pollution, affordability, social exclusion, climate change and energy security, and supporting our vulnerable citizens.
Madam Speaker, it could, of course, have been a very different Canberra had the election results been different. We could have seen this budget paying for a contract for light rail without Canberrans actually seeing a single track.
The Greens believe in an inclusive and welcoming Canberra where the most vulnerable in our community are looked after: a Canberra that has high quality health care and education for all, no matter what your income or your postcode is; a Canberra that is diverse and fully acknowledges the unique contribution of its traditional owners as well as people of different races, genders and cultures; a Canberra that protects our local environment and where we do our part as global citizens. And we must be a community that tackles the ever-widening gap between rich and poor.
I know that no single budget will address all of these aspirations, but the Greens believe that this is a budget that is firmly working towards the right solutions.
There are a number of items in this year’s budget that the Greens are particularly proud of and that simply would not be in the budget if we had not helped to put them on the agenda. They are of importance not only to us but to the community. There are a few items I would like to highlight today.
After hearing from carers and service providers about the impacts of gaps in our mental health system and long waiting lists for child and adolescent mental health support, mental health became a key part of the Greens’ election commitments on health.
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