1 April 2022

A short-sighted Budget

How money gets allocated in the Budget should be about what’s good for all of us - about how we are going to build a future for our families, our community and our country.

Another big week for our campaign with lots of new volunteers!

Budget

How money gets allocated in the budget should be about what’s good for all of us - about how we are going to build a future for our families, our community and our country. Looking at this week's budget, it’s hard not to be cynical and see this as an election-eve attempt to buy votes with one-off payments and short-term program extensions.

Zero dollars allocated to a federal integrity commission. Climate funding down 35%. A further 3% reduction in overall spending in the ACT, which is a real kick in the teeth considering we already receive a measly 1/5th of infrastructure spend as a proportion of our population when compared to other states.

What is missing from the budget are plans to actually deal with issues like housing affordability or cost of living pressures. I’ve been hearing from many in the community that, despite having a full time job, they feel like they are going backwards financially. One off cash payments won’t fix this - we need a long-term plan and real wage growth for people.

The budget was another missed opportunity for us to tackle climate and ensure we’re part of the future economy. Australia is well placed to benefit from the transition to renewable energy - from manufacturing, energy production, exports, jobs and household savings. But instead of seizing those opportunities and creating the certainty needed for those investments to go ahead the budget set out steady cuts to renewables funding and the smart energy transition.

We need a government prepared to face the challenges of today and tomorrow and make a plan beyond simply trying to shore up votes for a looming election. While one-off payments and temporary-tax relief at the bowser will help families struggling to pay bills they fall far short of the kind of leadership we need.

Event: How to make housing more affordable

If you’re despairing at rising rents and worried that surging house prices are locking you or your loved ones out of the property market, you’re not alone. The good news is there are sensible, responsible policies that can help make housing more affordable.

On 14 April at the Denman Village Community Centre, I’ll be hosting a community forum with affordable housing experts to discuss what can be done about a problem too many Canberrans are grappling with.

RSVP today to attend this discussion about the future of affordable housing in the ACT.

Event: Spotlight on aged care

It’s no secret that Australia’s aged care system is struggling to serve our senior citizens. Aged care has emerged as a key concern for the ACT community.

Over the last few months I’ve heard so many horror stories from Canberrans. People have lost or nearly lost loved ones due to the absence of registered nurses working overnight. This week we saw again the power of Independent voices in Parliament with Senator Rex Patrick working hard to secure appropriate care for the elderly.

You can read more about what I’ve learned about the aged care system and what needs to happen here.

If this is an issue you want to see fixed, you can come along to a very special online event I’m hosting called Putting the spotlight on senior Australians.

The event is from 10-11am on Friday 8 April, and will feature me in conversation with experts Annie Butler, the Federal Secretary of Australian Nursing and Midwifery, and Ian Henschke, National Seniors Chief Advocate.

I hope you can make it!