Andrew Leigh

My Chronicle column this week is about the late Nicole Osuch-Helsham.

A Life That is a Lesson for All of Us, The Chronicle, 5 June 2012

During the 2010 election campaign, one of the suburbs I doorknocked was Harrison. Before going door-to-door, I sent out a letter letting residents know I’d be in the area, and inviting people to contact me if they had any issues.

Nicole Osuch-Helsham phoned me up to say that after I’d finished doorknocking, her daughter Paige would like to interview me about politics. Nicole promised to provide coffee and cake.

When I arrived after an afternoon of doorknocking, a delicious cake had just come out of the oven, and 8 year-old Paige had a battery of questions. They were deeper questions than most professional journalists had been asking on the campaign trail: things like ‘So why are you in the Labor Party rather than the Liberal Party?’. (The following week, Paige also interviewed Liberal candidate James Milligan.)

After the interview was over, I told Nicole how impressed I was with Paige, but was also curious as to why she had invited me to pop by. It was then that Nicole told me that she had been diagnosed with secondary cancer – ‘not the Kylie Minogue kind of breast cancer, but the Jane McGrath kind’. The cancer had come back, and Nicole knew that she wouldn’t be around to share the teenage years with Paige and her younger sister Sierra. So she had quit her job, and was ‘packing all the parenting she could’ into the time remaining.

After I won the election, Nicole and her husband Gavin brought the girls along to my first speech. A few months later, she arranged for me to go to Harrison School with my friend Andrew Laming – a Liberal MP from Queensland. The ‘two Andrews talk politics’ event was a hoot. It showed me that anyone who thinks primary school kids are apathetic about politics needs to spend more time in the classroom.

Shortly afterwards, I launched my ‘Big Ideas Competition’ at Harrison School. When the WIN TV crew turned up, I introduced Paige to the journalist as my ‘Youth Adviser’. That night, I smiled as the title appeared beneath her name on the television screen.

Cancer finally claimed Nicole on 7 May 2012, aged 43. The funeral service was held the day after Mother’s Day, so Paige and Sierra drew cards for her, and placed them on the coffin.

In one eulogy, Nicole was described as a goddess. She had established a support group for people with secondary cancers. Nicole had spent time with friends, and had devoted herself to her daughters. Her closest friends and fellow goddesses, Louise Talbot and Catherine Gladman said that Nicole managed to ‘lick the plate of life clean’. On the funeral program were the words ‘You cannot prevent the birds of sadness from passing over your head. But you can prevent them from making nests in your hair’.

Cancer reminds us of how awfully unfair life can be. But the way that Nicole lived her final years – devoted to friends and family, engaged with her community, and telling jokes until the end – has a lesson for all of us. Rest in peace, Nicole Osuch-Helsham.

Andrew Leigh is the Federal Member for Fraser.

Ever since I was a kid, I've enjoyed ABC Radio National's science program Ockham's Razor. This week, host Robyn Williams was kind enough to ask me to reprise my Sydney University talk on Five Science Breakthroughs That Could Change Politics. You can podcast it here.

I spoke in parliament about my latest community conversation on disadvantage, which focused on intergenerational poverty.

Fraser Community Summit, 31 May 2012

Every six months or so I hold a conversation to talk about disadvantage in the Fraser electorate. On Tuesday, 29 May I was pleased to welcome 10 representatives from local community sector groups up to Parliament House for an early breakfast conversation. I call it a community summit, but really it is more of an informal conversation with people I regard as my brains trust on poverty.

The focus of this conversation was on intergenerational disadvantage and how to stop the cycle of poverty from replicating itself across generations. One of the attendees at the summit made the point that disadvantage itself is now more complex than it was in the past and is often interrelated with issues such as mental illness, poor health, substance abuse, domestic violence and addiction. Another attendee told the story of a child whose parents were addicted to hard drugs and who was never given anything by his parents; all he had were the things that he had found or stolen. Another spoke about families who eat McDonald's every meal because it is simpler to get takeaway than to prepare a meal. Attendees were concerned about the impact of imprisonment on the children of those who are behind bars.

A central focus of many of the attendees was education. One community sector leader gave the example of students who say to her: 'I'm the first in my family to finish year 10. My parents won't come to my graduation. Will you?' Encouraging more young Canberrans to finish school is vital in reducing disadvantage. This may involve intensive work with students such as one-on-one reading support, even for high schoolers. Within schools it is important to set high expectations for young people. Australian universities need to attract more students who are the first in their family to obtain a degree. This requires working closely with students as early as year 8 to encourage them to consider higher education. While there are many active parents involved in low-SES school communities, it is generally the case that P&Cs in high-income schools tend to be more engaged. Attendees mentioned the importance of involving parents in low-SES schools and of encouraging high-SES schools to form partnerships to help the more disadvantaged members of the community.

Mentoring programs also have promise. Attendees spoke about the FaHCSIA funded SuperGrands, who work with parents to develop skills around budgeting, preparing a nutritious meal or developing regular bedtime routines. Another mentoring program, which is run by UnitingCare Kippax, connects youth in years 10 to 12 with adult mentors who range in age from 22 to 64. In the Alexander Maconochie Centre, there are several mentoring programs to help prisoners. The Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience is a mentoring program for Indigenous high schoolers, which attendees commended.

One attendee reminded us of the valuable role that grandparents can play in cases where the parents have complex needs. Another made the important observation that social capital matters. As US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton once noted, 'It takes a village to raise a child.' Sporting programs targeted at disadvantaged youth, such as the sailing program Buoyed Up, which is run in collaboration with Canberra Yacht Club, can help improve fitness and self-esteem. But attendees argued that there are not enough of these kinds of programs. My own observation with the federally funded Local Sporting Champions grants is that students from affluent backgrounds are often more likely to hear about the program than are students from poor backgrounds.

Attendees referred to a range of other programs that they felt had been successful in breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty. These include: the Home Insulation Program for Parents and Youngsters, HIPPY, a parenting and early childhood program targeting families with young children; programs in schools to encourage respectful relationships; anger management courses to help young people; classes run by Nutrition Australia to teach people to prepare meals that include more fruit and vegetables; and the the Jobs, Education and Training Program JET, program, which provides childcare at 10c an hour and which several attendees argued should be available for a longer duration. We also briefly discussed the 2012 ACT targeted assistance strategy which was chaired by Gordon Ramsay and which looked at what the ACT government can do to better deal with hard-core disadvantage in our city.

I thank the 10 attendees: Fiona MacGregor, Carmel Franklin, Gordon Ramsay, Jenny Kitchin, John Goss, Simon Rosenberg, Camilla Rowland, Kiki Korpinen, Jess Aulich and Lynne Harwood. I also thank members of my staff Claire Daley and Damien Hickman for helping to organise the event. As one attendee put it, breaking the intergenerational cycle of disadvantage is about 'instilling a sense of hope'. I thank the attendees for another valuable conversation about tackling poverty in Canberra.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/P_w0LRuLkgs

Congratulations to the Gold Creek School for being nominated for the United Nations Association of Australia World Environment Day Awards.

MEDIA RELEASE

1st June 2012

The Hon Bill Shorten MP
Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
Andrew Leigh MP
Federal Member for Fraser

GOLD CREEK NAMED FINALIST FOR WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY AWARDS 

The $3.4 million Gold Creek Environment Centre, built as part of the Gillard Government’s Building the Education Revolution (BER), has been named as a finalist in this year’s United Nations Association of Australia World Environment Day Awards.

Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Bill Shorten today congratulated the Canberra’s Gold Creek school community, the architects, builders and the ACT Government, which part funded the facility, on the construction of this environmentally sustainable building.



“Gold Creek School have set the standard for environmentally sustainable design,” Mr Shorten said.

“Although the impacts of climate change are global, we know the solutions are local, and that young Australians will need to carry on the work we are doing now to make Australia more environmentally sustainable.”

Local Member for Fraser, Mr Andrew Leigh congratulated everyone involved in the development of this facility and wished the Gold Creek School community all the best in the awards.

“It is wonderful that our schools are encouraging environmental responsibility. By educating and engaging younger generations in this field, we are safeguarding Australia’s future.”

The Gold Creek School environment centre is one of only three school buildings in Australia to have achieved a 6-star rating under the Green Star Education Design IV.

The Centre features photovoltaic panels producing more power than required to run the building. Rainwater and grey water tanks capture water for use in toilets and the irrigation of garden beds and a thermal chimney provides passive cooling during summer.

Systems in the Centre allow students to monitor in real time readings for energy and water use.

Students of Gold Creek School and Holy Spirit Primary School share the Environment Centre along with the library, canteen, gymnasium and artificial sportsground as a great example of the Australian Government’s Local Schools Working Together Program.

The World Environment Day Awards recognise innovative and outstanding environmental programs and initiatives. They are held as part of the United Nations’ World Environment Day (5 June) which this year celebrate the International Year for Sustainable Energy.

The winner will be announced at the United Nations Association of Australia World Environment Day Award Ceremony in Melbourne in 8 June.

 

A couple of short videos give some ideas.

A short speech on our economic strength and the importance of tax reform.

Tax Laws Amendment (2012 Measures No. 3) Bill 2012
Income Tax (Seasonal Labour Mobility Program Withholding Tax) Bill 2012
Tax Laws Amendment (Income Tax Rates) Bill 2012
30 May 2012

On a blog post on 8 December last year, Possum Comitatus—aka Scott Steel—wrote of 'Australian exceptionalism'. He wrote:

'Never before has there been a nation so completely oblivious to not just their own successes, but the sheer enormity of them, than Australia today.'

It is within the context of that extraordinary economic performance—unemployment, inflation and the cash rate each below 5 per cent for the first time in 40 years—that we are considering this package of bills.

Time does not permit me to go into the many features of this package of bills that the Assistant Treasurer has pulled together, so let me simply note: that the Seasonal Labour Mobility Program builds on the successful Pacific Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme; that the government is realigning the tax rate schedule for non-residents to align it better with marginal tax rates that Australian residents face; that the government is removing the ability of children to access the LITO to discourage income-splitting between adults and children; that we are introducing technical amendments to ensure that legislation does not impose unintended consequences on taxpayers; and that we are scaling back large tax concessions for generous executive salary packages that are simply not available to many low- and middle-income earners. It is a terrific package of bills and I commend them to the House.

I called today for Canberrans to 'dob in a Black Spot'.

MEDIA RELEASE

30 May 2012

Andrew Leigh MP
Federal Member for Fraser

IDENTIFYING BLACK SPOTS IN THE ACT

Each year, the ACT Black Spot consultative panel allocates over $1 million of Australian Government funding to make local roads safer. Safety measures include better line markings, upgraded traffic signals and improved lighting.

Chair of the ACT Black Spots Consultative Panel, Andrew Leigh, is again calling for Canberrans to suggest hazardous locations that require attention.

‘Our local drivers are best placed to identify dangerous spots on ACT roads,’ said Dr Leigh. ‘With your help, we can improve the conditions and safety of our roads and help protect the lives of our drivers.’

‘The Black Spot program has funded over eighty projects in Canberra to date, including some that have been nominated by the community. By working with the local community through taking site suggestions, these achievements will continue.’

To qualify for inclusion under the program, a location must have suffered at least one traffic accident. Work is only funded under the program if the benefits (in reduced deaths, injuries and property damage) are at least twice as large as the costs of doing the work.

Nominations may be emailed to andrew.leigh.mp^@^aph.gov.au, or by telephoning Andrew Leigh on 6247 4396. For consideration in the 2013-14 Black Spots funding round, nominations must be sent by the end of June.

Volunteering is a strong tradition in Australia, nowhere more so than in the ACT. More than 6 million Australians volunteer each year - about 36% of the population. This number has grown significantly in the last decade and I hope we can raise it again this year.

To boost youth volunteering in our communities, the Gillard Labor Government is calling on budding young film makers aged 15 to under 25 to enter the volunteering video competition for young people.

Entrants are asked to create a video that will promote ways for young people to be involved in their community and capture the enjoyment, fun, and social interaction that volunteering brings.

The theme for this competition is "Your Passion, Our Nation. Volunteer Now!"

The competition closes 5pm on Sunday 22 July.

Find out more at the competition website.

This Sunday is the 20th anniversary of the High Court's Mabo judgment. Because parliament is sitting, I won't be able to attend Mabo Day celebrations being organised tonight by the ACT Torres Strait Islanders Corporation at the National Museum of Australia. But here's the statement I've prepared to be read out.

Statement from Andrew Leigh, Federal Member for Fraser

Born on Murray Island one can only imagine what it would have been like to witnesses the moment Eddie Koiki Mabo realised that his land was owned by the Crown and not him and his people.

Noel Loos and Henry Reynolds recall of that moment in 1974: “Koiki was surprised and shocked”. They remember him saying “No way, it’s not theirs. It’s ours”.

From that moment to the High Court decision of June 3^rd 1992, Eddie Mabo showed us that understanding is the responsibility of all Australians.

That an appreciation and understanding of Indigenous Australia, its history, culture and challenges is not an optional part of being Australian. It is essential to who we are.

Eddie Mabo Day helps further the understanding that is critical to reconciliation, through acknowledging and celebrating all Indigenous Australians and their contribution to our nation.

It is an opportunity to celebrate the life of a great Australian, to remember a man of extraordinary vision, warmth and intelligence. It encourages us to reflect upon a national identity with Aboriginality as a central and distinguishing theme.

With Indigenous stories taking their place as fundamental parts of the Australian story.

My apologies for not being able to be with you today to celebrate the remarkable contribution and life of Eddie Koiki Mabo.

The Australian Women’s Coalition will be running a series of workshops for young women aged 18-30, who live or work in the ACT region.

The workshops are designed to provide young women with the opportunity to develop transformation projects focusing issues that they most care about. The workshops are particularly aimed at reaching young women from migrant and refugee communities.

Funded by the Australian Government Department of Immigration and Citizenship, the SHOUT! workshops are free and will run from April 2012 to March 2013.

Find out more about the AWC and about the new SHOUT! workshops at: www.awcaus.org.au