Page 2278 - Week 07 - Thursday, 27 August 2020
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more affordable housing and a fairer fine system. I believe that one reason for this issue is that politicians here and elsewhere are usually paid more than the average wage in our communities. I appreciate the reasons for this—the Remuneration Tribunal works out our wages—but it means we tend to lose track of how tough some in our community are doing.
I have one radical proposal for my last speech: I think we should say that two or maybe three terms should be the maximum anyone can serve as an MLA. In this we would emulate one of the better features of the American system, which is a limit of two terms for presidents. Hopefully that will keep us more in touch with life outside here.
As members will have heard me say many times, I stood for the Assembly because I desperately want to do something to reduce climate change. This is an area where I am just overwhelmed by the lack of action worldwide. Right now the annual global average temperature is about 1.1 degrees more than pre-industrial levels, and it is on track to be 1.5 degrees hotter by 2030. It is no accident that last summer was dominated by bushfires and that last week there was an out of control fire in northern New South Wales, despite it being officially winter.
Surveys tell us that most Australians think we should address climate change, and I do not know why we do not. Hopefully, our young people will lead the way here. I have for many years said that the Australian Youth Climate Coalition is the hope for us all, and they have been joined internationally by the school climate strikers. I hope to do what I can to help them in my life after the Assembly. I look forward to seeing more Greens elected to the Assembly and other parliaments to help achieve the changes we need.
In conclusion I thank my staff—Allison, Adriana, Eddy, Veronica and Jason, as well as Travis, Lily, Georgie and Emily, who worked with me earlier in this term, and Lisa, John and Indra, who I share with Shane Rattenbury. I thank the other Greens staff, both in the Assembly and our office, the Greens volunteers, and all the Assembly staff who keep this place running. I thank the Canberra community that I have worked with while I have been here. Most of all, I thank my husband, Guy, because without his love and support there is no way I could be here today. I wish my fellow MLAs all the best for the election, wisdom in your decisions and good luck in the future.
MR RATTENBURY (Kurrajong) (4.54), by leave: I welcome this chance to make remarks about the wonderful legacy of my colleague Caroline Le Couteur. Caroline and I joined the Assembly together in the class of 2008 and we have been here together for two quite different terms of the Assembly. There was some mirth in our team meeting this morning when someone pointed out that Caroline was scheduled to deliver her valedictory at 4.20.
Caroline has been an activist, an ethical investment founder and a crossbencher extraordinaire, representing everything the Greens stand for, both on the political stage and in her own life. She has thoroughly disproved the glib assumptions by carping critics that we Greens are long in ideology and short on practicality. On this and many other points her record speaks for itself.
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