Page 3455 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 17 September 2019
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The government has set out a clear and comprehensive plan to tackle climate change while supporting our workforce and our households in this multi-decade transition. Canberrans overwhelmingly support this approach, and we would hope that those opposite can get over their juvenile and childish initial response to this strategy and support it, as they feigned their support for previous initiatives.
MS CODY: Chief Minister, how have the ACT’s progressive climate policies impacted the broader local industry sector?
MR BARR: Through the innovative reverse auction processes for procurement of renewable energy, the ACT government has attracted more than half a billion dollars in investment in the Canberra region. We see around two gigawatts of renewable energy being managed by companies in our city. Our actions have attracted new investment from industry leaders and created new local jobs.
I think it is worth observing that in spite of having only 1.7 per cent of the national population, we have nearly 3½ per cent of the nation’s renewable energy sector jobs. We have been able to capitalise on new local industry expertise and partner with higher education and research institutions to promote further industry development.
Most recently, Minister Gentleman announced a $1.5 million investment through the priority investment program to support a laboratory at the ANU to develop and test renewable technologies to ensure that they work effectively and are able to be reliably distributed into our city’s power grid.
Our leadership on renewable energy means that our local sector will continue to grow and will continue to create and support more jobs and more opportunities for Canberrans into the future as we transition to a zero emissions economy over the next 2½ decades.
Health—departmental bullying
MS LAWDER: My question is to the Minister for Health. Minister, which areas of ACT Health and Canberra Health Services have the worst record relating to bullying, harassment and abuse of staff?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I thank Ms Lawder for the question. Again I will take the detail of that on notice, in terms of the data that is available, but I do want to emphasise that Canberra Health Services supports a positive culture, and there is a lot of work underway in relation to this, not only with what I have just talked about in my other response in relation to occupational violence, but also with the implementation of the nurses and midwives towards a safer culture strategy.
In December 2018 the former Minister for Health and Wellbeing and the Minister for Mental Health launched the directorate’s strategy to improve the workplace health and safety of nurses and midwives. The strategy outlines the vision for an ACT public healthcare system where staff, patients and visitors are protected from harm and feel safe at all times. It is being led by the directorate and includes Canberra Health
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