Page 1555 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 4 May 2016
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assessment and report, with 209 claiming a rebate and many more currently undertaking energy efficiency upgrades.
ACTSmart’s household program provides assistance in a variety of ways, including advice, rebates, workshops and online sustainability tools. To date, this program has reached over 3,300 households. The ACTSmart household low income program supports low income households, with practical assistance and advice to reduce energy and water bills for those in most need in our community, with more than 7,300 low income households benefiting from this program.
The government has shown that decarbonising the economy can be achieved and provide benefits for residents and businesses. Furthermore, a recent poll conducted by a respected Canberra-based think tank shows that three-quarters of Australians support state-based renewable energy targets in the absence of leadership at a national level.
In closing, whilst they have left the chamber, I note that the bushfire brigade members themselves who do a commendable job see first-hand the impact of not addressing the issues of climate change in the volunteer work that they do.
In conclusion, Madam Assistant Speaker, if global aspirations for carbon neutrality are going to be realised by mid-century as proposed by the Paris agreement, then governments at all levels and of all persuasions are going to need to take affirmative action in a way that this ACT Labor government has demonstrated and is doing. I commend the motion to the Assembly.
Debate (on motion by Mr Gentleman) adjourned to the next sitting.
Adjournment
Motion (by Mr Gentleman) proposed:
That the Assembly do now adjourn.
Portable long service leave
MS BURCH (Brindabella) (6.17): I rise to briefly speak on the portable long service leave amendments that were passed through this Assembly. We know long service leave is an important part of employment standards. We also know workforce mobility is high, with around three in four workers staying with their employer for less than ten years. This structural trend away from long-term employment is limiting access to long service leave for a large proportion of the workforce, particularly for women.
Portable long service leave was introduced to mitigate these inequalities by allowing workers to move between employers in specific industries without losing the credit time that they have worked in that industry. By recognising and encouraging loyalty within these industries, the schemes benefit employees but also the consumers, because the consumers get the benefit of a retained and skilled workforce.
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