Page 2244 - Week 06 - Thursday, 6 June 2019
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significant phase of climate action in the ACT. The Greens will be looking to ensure that future budgets are climate focused and strongly invest in mitigating and adapting to climate change.
At the 2016 election the Greens put forward a suite of policies and initiatives that put our community first. We are not a party for big business or corporate interests. We listen to the community and we represent the community.
The Greens believe in a Canberra that is inclusive and looks after the most vulnerable in our community; a Canberra that has high quality health care and education for all, no matter your income or postcode; a Canberra that is diverse and supports people of different race, gender and culture; and a Canberra that protects our local environment and does our part as global citizens. And we must tackle the ever-widening gap between rich and poor.
The Greens have been campaigning for these things in the Assembly since 1995. Through the balance of power we have made progressive reform a reality in Canberra, from legislating greenhouse gas targets to improving community consultation, banning battery hen farming, and building the ACT’s first light rail. This year we will see the independent integrity commission and the drug and alcohol court coming to fruition.
We have worked hard for a fairer and more sustainable city, and we are starting to see this become a reality. This budget, along with previous budgets this term, is delivering these priorities, many of which are in the parliamentary agreement, and more.
The Greens are very pleased to see the government developing wellbeing indicators for the ACT. This balance of needs—not just economic—is something we have long advocated for. Determining how we measure wellbeing and whether it has improved will be key.
We are pleased to see a separate budget statement for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Whilst there is also a separate statement for social inclusion, a women’s budget statement should be reinstated. This has been called for repeatedly by the women’s sector, as many adverse impacts on women of seemingly benign policies and programs often go unnoticed.
The long-term vision for our city should be fair and support all Canberrans, not just those at the top end. Our concessions system is key to maintaining fairness. The Greens have focused on ensuring that concessions are targeted at those who need them most. This budget sees concessions assistance rise by over $7 million—a 10 per cent increase. In particular, the $46 annual utilities concession increase commences on 1 July and will benefit many older Canberrans and people on very low incomes. We have also proposed progressive revenue measures. Last year we called for the investigation of income-based fines, as set fines do not recognise the unequal impacts of high costs of living and people’s ability to pay.
The Greens also want our tax system to be fair. Since 2012 tax reform has made important changes, like scrapping insurance duty and reducing stamp duty. The
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