Page 2922 - Week 10 - Thursday, 7 October 2021
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In another of my areas of responsibility, I note that the current need for food relief is far greater than it was in 2020, when commonwealth income support payments were higher. I am incredibly proud of Canberra’s response to assisting people who require help with access to food—from ACT government services and NGO partners to some outstanding private businesses.
As we move forward into 2022, we have an opportunity as a community to talk about what we mean by social recovery. My view is that this does not mean going back to how things were before the pandemic, as though it never happened. COVID will be a feature of our lives for some time yet, and it will not be the last crisis we face in our community, as we know from the science of climate change. “None will be free until the old ways are gone forever,” and I say to whoever in here is the first to tell me where that quote comes from that I will bake them a cake.
In addition, as this debate highlights, our society had many issues prior to the pandemic that we must improve. What social recovery means to me is this: how do we progress to a place where people can do the things that matter to them and pursue their interests and ambitions? How do we progress to a place where all of us feel connected and valued in our local community and can contribute in a way that matters to each of us, whether that be taking our kids to their regular football game; volunteering in our local Landcare group; taking an active part in our local faith group; or sharing our skills and experience in sports, recreation and the arts.
We need to think about how we make social recovery part of our response to COVID-19 as well as how we can respond to future crises, including drought and bushfires.
This means that government listens to feedback and is a genuine partner in those honest discussions. We must accept that government is not always the answer to every problem, and we should support effective community solutions. Government should always be there, working hand in hand with our community, providing a reliable shoulder to lean on when necessary and facilitating connections.
As the responsible minister, I commit to leading a process where we develop a shared understanding of what good social recovery looks like, and developing a consensus of what is required, when and where. Through the Community Services Directorate as the lead agency, we will lead and facilitate a consultation process where a wide range of views and experiences shape our approach to social recovery.
Good consultation means hearing what is not working as well as hearing the good stuff. It means being prepared to say, “I don’t know, but let’s work it out together.” It means coming to the conversation with humility, empathy and willingness to see things from another point of view. It means not having any preconceived ideas on next steps that we hold onto come what may, and being able to move in a new direction based on what the evidence tells us.
It will be with these key principles in mind that we hold these conversations, as we develop our community resilience to see out the rest of the pandemic and as we guide our social recovery and put ourselves in a better position to deal with the next crisis.
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