Page 4713 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 10 November 2009
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disappointing that on some occasions, when the Greens have put forward legislative solutions that move to push the agenda on particular issues, such as solar hot water, they are met with a kind of resistance that speaks to the attitude that it is the government that governs and that the legislature comes second in its consideration.
However, there are many other policy areas that we hope to engage positively with the government on. Climate change and urban water are but two of those. We look forward to real, genuine engagement on these issues as we believe that it can only add to the outcomes for the people of Canberra.
The Greens have, over the past year, dealt with every issue on its merits, something that is probably exemplified by our voting record that clearly indicates that we have voted with both the ALP and the Liberals regularly in this place. But what remains important is the outcome, and that will remain our focus. The Greens will continue to ensure accountability to ensure that we achieve those outcomes.
I would like to touch briefly on some of the outcomes that the agreement has delivered for the people of Canberra to date. A substantive number of the agreement items have been signed off on. These include changes to the standing orders of this place to bring about a better accountability of government and wider engagement of other parties and the adoption of the Latimer House principles; delivery of expressions of interest process for the solar facility; urban wetland recovery program; increased purchase of renewable energy by government; an inquiry into legislated greenhouse gas reduction targets; Monash Drive struck off the map; and the Redex trial that is on its way.
Many of these items are still works in progress and we are looking forward to seeing them implemented: the 40-kilometre limit shopping centre consultation; commercial waste assistance and small business impact statements; street-level recycling; child-friendly planning guidelines; six-star rating for new homes by 2010; and plumbing visits.
In our first budget, we achieved $55 million worth of green initiatives and that spending was undertaken in a responsible way. In the next budget, we have already ensured that the community sector is protected from the efficiency dividend.
I would like to return to the Chief Minister’s speech, though. The first item on the Chief Minister’s agenda, the very first, was sustainability. A number of initiatives that he mentioned are ones that are very dear to our hearts: the feed-in tariff, the solar facility and, indeed, a long-term target for greenhouse gas reductions or even zero net emissions.
There is absolutely no doubt that, as I said before, this is a government that realises it has to act on sustainability. I do not think it takes too much thinking to figure out why. The presence of four Greens in the Assembly and the increase in our vote at the last election have meant that the government can no longer only partially deliver on these issues.
While I have outlined a number of direct ways the Greens have shifted the agenda here, I am also incredibly heartened to see the government start to take these issues
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