Andrew Leigh

THE HON TANYA PLIBERSEK MP

MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER

THE HON DR ANDREW LEIGH MP

ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR COMPETITION, CHARITIES AND TREASURY, ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR EMPLOYMENT

MEDIA RELEASE

Thursday 27 February 2025

Measuring the true value of Australia’s natural environment

The Albanese Labor Government has today released the first set of National Ecosystem Accounts which will help Australians better understand the value of nature to our economy and our wellbeing.

The accounts will inform the Government’s policies and decision-making processes to better measure the impacts of our actions to the environment.

The estimates measured the contribution of some of Australia’s land, freshwater and marine ecosystems to the economy in 2020-21. It shows us:

• the storage of 34.5 million kilotonnes of carbon in grasslands, native forests, savannas and mangroves, worth over $43 billion
• the delivery of 955 gigalitres of self-extracted surface water for agricultural use in production, worth over $125 million
• saving more than 4,000 coastal properties from damage worth over $57 million through natural protection by mangrove ecosystems

The accounts track changes in Australia’s diverse ecosystems, across almost 1.4 billion hectares. Close to half of our land area is made up of desert or semi desert landscapes.

Making Cents: Celebrating 60 Years at the Royal Australian Mint

ROYAL AUSTRALIAN MINT, CANBERRA

FRIDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2025

I acknowledge the Ngunnawal people on whose lands we meet today, and all First Nations people present. Thank you, and welcome to the voice of Trixie Heeler, Myf Warhurst. It’s wonderful to have you as part of this special occasion.

A big thank you to the Royal Australian Mint and Acting CEO Emily Martin for hosting this event, and to all of you – coin collectors, visitors, Mint staff, and Canberrans – for being here today.

Today, we celebrate 60 years of the Royal Australian Mint—a milestone that reflects not only the passage of time but also the evolution of our nation's currency, craftsmanship, and innovation.

The story of Australian coinage is one of transformation and progress. When the Mint opened its doors in 1965, Australia was on the cusp of a historic shift – from the familiar imperial system of pounds, shillings, and pence to a modern decimal currency.

Proposals to adopt decimal currency emerged shortly after Federation, but it was not until Leslie Melville’s 1957 Decimal Currency Council report that momentum began. The new Currency Act was enacted in 1963, and the public were asked what to call the new currency. Suggested names included ‘Austral’, ‘Oz’, ‘Boomer’, ‘Emu’, ‘Deci-mate’, ‘Kwid’, ‘Kanga’, ‘Digger’, ‘Dinkum’ and ‘Roo’. Some rue the fact that we eventually went with ‘dollar’.

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
RADIO INTERVIEW
ABC RADIO CANBERRA BREAKFAST WITH ROSS SOLLY

THURSDAY, 27 FEBRUARY 2025

SUBJECTS: Swing voting; Peter Dutton's share trading scandal; Brindabella Christian College; National Charitable Fundraising Principles

ROSS SOLLY, HOST: Dr. Andrew Leigh, good morning to you.

ANDREW LEIGH: Good morning, Ross. Great to be with you.

SOLLY: Good to be with you too. I've got a few things I want to talk with you about. How are you, by the way? Are you well?

LEIGH: Terrific. Just got back from a lovely run. Terrific to be out in the Canberra bush.

SOLLY: How many K's this morning, just out of interest?

LEIGH: I did 14 this morning.

SOLLY: 14. And your splits?

LEIGH: I was doing sprints. I think my quickest sprints at the moment are about a 4:20 per k, which is not very good. I had a race on the weekend.

SOLLY: What were you doing? Did you have a block of cement tied to your back or something? No, that's actually. That's actually very good. Now, Dr. Andrew Leigh, interesting. In our poll so far this morning, I don't know what you take away from this, but so far I'm just updating it. 82% of people voting in our poll are saying they would vote exactly the same way this time around as they did three years ago. I guess you'd take that as a positive.

LEIGH: I was thinking last time I analysed this as an academic, about 10% of people switched votes from one election to the next. Obviously, a lot of people are going in opposite directions and so the overall swing is never 10%, but the average from the elections I was looking at was about 10%. So, you've got a swingier poll than average.

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
RADIO INTERVIEW
2CC WITH LEON DELANEY

Subjects: Stepping Stone Café charity work; Supporting the charity sector; Reducing inflation without increasing joblessness; Whyalla Steelworks Support Package.

20 FEBRUARY 2025

Leon Delaney, Host: Now the Federal Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities, Treasury and Employment and our local member here in the seat of Fenner, Dr Andrew Leigh. Good afternoon

Andrew Leigh: Good afternoon, Leon. Great to be with you

Delaney: Well, thanks for joining us. There's a lot of things going on, but let's start with your opinion piece today about strengthening charities, strengthening democracy and strengthening the community. You make particular reference to the Stepping Stone Cafe right here in your own electorate. Why is that?

Leigh: Stepping Stone just won the Australian Local Hero Awards, beating out all of the contestants from other states and territories. So, I'm pretty proud of what they do. They've got a cafe in Strathnairn and Dickson, employing people who would otherwise be struggling to find work. They've helped over 60 migrant and refugee women to get into employment. And I was spotlighting them, Leon, not only because I'd like to see more people pop in and pick up a coffee, but also because what Vanessa and Hannah have done is really a reminder of the strength of charities throughout the community. Charities are out there improving the environment, helping in kids sport, strengthening the arts and assisting the most vulnerable. And we as a government have not only ended the Coalition's nine-year war on charities but also sought to rebuild and strengthen the relationship between the government and the charitable sector.

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
RADIO INTERVIEW
2CC WITH STEPHEN CENATIEMPO

25 FEBRUARY 2025

Subjects: Boosting bulk billing; Cultivating charities and creating community

STEPHEN CENATIEMPO, HOST: Time to catch up with the Assistant Minister for Charities, Competition and Treasury. Or have I got that in the wrong order? A Member for Fenner, Andrew Leigh. Andrew, good morning.

ANDREW LEIGH: No wrong order, Stephen! Great to speak to you.

CENATIEMPO: Too many bits in there, so. Yeah, anyway, but they're all important. Let's talk about this $8.5 billion policy. Why is it that both sides of politics seem to think that bulk billing is the only thing that matters?

LEIGH: Well, Medicare is a fundamental Australian institution. It means that you can go and see a doctor when you're sick without worrying about the cost. And certainly, for many Canberrans, that cost has been adding up. We know that getting a bulk billing doctor here in Canberra, if you're on a low income but you don't have a Health Care Card, has become increasingly tough. So, this policy is a gamechanger. It will ensure that more Australians can see a bulk billing doctor. It'll be critical here in Canberra. And as you said, Peter Dutton, the man who once said there were ‘too many free Medicare services’, is signing up to this at the last minute because he realises that his record on health is dismal.

Helping Charities and Strengthening Communities

20 February 2025

The Albanese Government is helping Australia’s 62,000 charities by ensuring that states and territories collaborate effectively with the federal government – reducing unnecessary paperwork.

We’re taking the practical step of including representatives from all states and territories on the advisory board of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC). This will include the greatest representation from state and territory governments since the Board’s inception in 2013.

This move builds on the substantial body of work that Labor has done to support charities, and aligns with recommendations in the Productivity Commission’s landmark Future Foundations for Giving report.

These strategic appointments aim to ensure the diverse interests of our communities are effectively represented, fostering a consistent national approach to regulatory and policy matters within the charity sector.

The ACNC Advisory Board supports the Commissioner by offering informed advice on matters affecting charities and strengthening the governance and effectiveness of the sector.

This article appeared in Community Directors Intelligence and the Community Advocate on 20 February 2025

In 2015, a group of young Australians had a simple yet ambitious vision: to use hospitality to change lives. They believed that something as universal as sharing a meal could also build a stronger community.

A decade later, that vision has made a real difference – Stepping Stone Café, located in my electorate of Fenner in the ACT, has helped over 60 migrant and refugee women to participate in meaningful work. Last April, I recognised the café as my monthly “community champion” for its contribution to inclusion and opportunity, and on Australia Day 2025, its founders, Vanessa Brettell and Hannah Costello, were named Australian of the Year Local Heroes.

Their philosophy is simple: participation strengthens society. “We dream of a society where diversity is celebrated, where all people are empowered and able to live the lives that they choose,” Hannah said upon receiving the award. By breaking bread together, newcomers and locals don’t just share food – they build community, foster belonging, and strengthen democracy itself.

It is initiatives like Stepping Stone Café that our government seeks to support – not just because their work is virtuous, but because when charities thrive, democracy thrives.

That’s why our focus has been strengthening the operating environment for charities and not-for-profits, so they can all do what they do best – serve communities. We have made significant progress and the path to a stronger sector is clearer than ever.

The Real Cost of the Coalition’s Public Service Cuts

Published in The Canberra Times

17 February 2025

When Labor took office, veterans seeking support after serving their country faced an unthinkable situation—a backlog of 42,000 claims, with some veterans waiting over two years just to have their case looked at. This was not an accident. It was the direct result of a decade of deliberate underinvestment in the public service, of staffing caps that starved frontline services, and of an ideological obsession with outsourcing.

Labor set out to fix it. Today, 97 per cent of that backlog has been cleared. Veterans’ claims that once took over 100 days are now allocated within two weeks. But the lesson from this crisis is clear: when governments neglect the public service, Australians suffer. And now, the Coalition wants to take us back.

The Coalition have made their priorities clear. They plan to cut 36,000 public service jobs, slashing the workforce by 20 per cent. This is not speculation. Nationals leader David Littleproud has said outright, “the first thing we’ll do is sack those 36,000 public servants in Canberra.” Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor has dismissed investment in the public service as “unnecessary spending.”

Early Childhood Education and Care (Three Day Guarantee) Bill 2025
House of Representatives
13 February 2025

My three boys are now in secondary school or graduated, but this bill certainly brings back memories of the great benefits that they got from their time in early childhood, attending the Acton Early Childhood Centre. I would sometimes cycle, with one of my boys on the back of the bike, to the campus at ANU. It's a lovely spot, surrounded by areas where the kids could walk and where they could enjoy playing. They had little carts and so they could be out and active in the play spaces. There were chickens for the kids to engage with, and there were educators who were dedicated to spending time with the kids—reading to them, singing to them, nurturing them.

Later, we moved our youngest to the Wiradjuri Preschool and Child Care Centre on the campus of the University of Canberra. Their motto is, 'We care, we share, we love to learn.' Wiradjuri had a smaller outdoor space, but they made terrific use of it. They enjoyed taking the kids for walks across the University of Canberra campus. I'm not quite sure what the young students made of these little tackers being taken across the campus, but the educators used the space to their best abilities.

What we really appreciated about Wiradjuri was the way it operated as a kind of teaching hospital model, where those students who were studying early childhood would come in and be mentored by experienced early childhood educators. They had two pictures on the wall, one of Gough Whitlam and one of Vincent Lingiari. They would tell the kids about that wonderful moment when, in the land handback, Whitlam poured a handful of sand into Vincent Lingiari's hand and Vincent so generously, so extraordinarily said, 'We are all mates now.'