Page 97 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 15 February 2011
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The most effective way to protect low income households from rising energy costs is to provide or assist them with more energy-efficient housing. Through the parliamentary agreement the government committed to double the amount of money it spends retrofitting public housing from $2 million per annum to $4 million. Unfortunately, the government is yet to fulfil this commitment, so the Greens are calling on it to meet this obligation in the next budget.
Extra funding to improve energy efficiency across the government’s 11,500 houses is a wise investment that will save money over the longer term and will protect people from rising costs. At a bare minimum, the government should be aiming to have all of its public housing at an energy-efficient rating of three stars or more. Energy efficiency is important for all Canberra households. We are looking forward to seeing what the government has in mind for systematically improving energy efficiency in houses and business right across the territory, particularly when it releases its sustainable energy policy.
In the area of education and childcare, the Greens have a long and proud track record of defending and promoting public education. Quality public education not only reduces an essential cost to families but also creates real opportunities for our children to prosper into the future. People should not have to choose to turn to the private sector for good educational outcomes. I certainly do not believe that they do now, but I am aware that the public system does have to work very hard to promote itself and the benefits that it offers. Surely providing the same, if not better, quality education service for free, as opposed to paying thousands of dollars, will help many Canberra families.
In relation to childcare, the Greens’ view is that childcare should not be a profit-based business. Families and, importantly, children need well-resourced, community-based and managed centres. The Greens support a diverse range of options for childcare. We particularly acknowledge a funding system that focuses on the needs of parents and children, rather than the larger empire building that we have seen in recent years with some companies. The Greens also acknowledge the importance of the childcare sector and the need to remunerate childcare workers accordingly. Community-based childcare that operates to provide care rather than create profit is the most cost-effective solution for families.
I refer also to a report in the Canberra Times recently, and I note there are hundreds, if not thousands, of Canberra families who are not accessing the commonwealth childcare subsidies. This surely is an issue that needs to be addressed because those subsidies certainly do help out. It is of assistance to those who still have a child in after-school care, as do many of the families that I speak to, to be able to use these services.
The impacts of the recent cyclone and floods have shown just how vulnerable food production in Australia is to natural disasters and weather conditions. We are seeing an increase in the number of natural disasters. Of course, this is going to get worse due to the effects of climate change. This will result in food price rises, especially fresh fruit and vegetables. We can expect to see the costs of food rise even further. Therefore, we need to look at how we can address this issue.
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