Andrew Leigh

A few articles that have piqued my interest this week.

• A random experiment on gender balance and competitiveness


• The multiplier from New Deal public works spending in the 1930s was around 1.7


• What if carbon taxes on electricity exempted the household sector?


• Pollution pricing (and why market mechanisms produce surprisingly cheap outcomes)


• The financial cost of childbearing for highly educated women


• Is rising CEO pay due to managerial power or uncompetitive markets?


• Aussie Bruce Western on US drug policy

Gordon Ramsey from Kippax UnitingCare tells me that community generosity is being outpaced by need. If you can assist with a gift or donation, you can drop them off at their office in Holt, on the corner of Luke Street and Hardwick Crescent.

Thank you again for your support for the community services at Kippax – particularly at this time the Christmas Hampers and Gifts we are providing to individuals, households and a broad range of other refuges and organisations in the ACT. This support of other organisations as well as our own clients is an important part of our ethos, and has become relied upon by women’s refuges and Refugee support groups over previous years.

More information from Gordon over the fold.

I thought you may appreciate hearing an update on where things are with this support this year.

Over the past 4 days we have worked with over 300 households who are struggling financially. With the bookings already made for next week, we anticipate that be will be distributing around 550 hampers this year, and that each of the households will be supported with Christmas Gifts as well. Last year we supported just under 400.

The recent floods and heavy rains have added to the strain of households – a story from one of our clients is included below.

Unfortunately, the 37% increase in requests for assistance this year has not been matched by an equal response by the broader community in its donations. We fear that the tightened financial situation (reflected in the anticipated reduced retail spending this year) is reflected in people’s responses to requests from charities such as ours. We believe that this is going to be a more difficult Christmas than even for a higher number of Canberran families.

Thank you again for our support. We greatly value it.

If you have any opportunity over the next few days to encourage the community to act generously (as they are able to afford it) to support any of the Canberran charities, we know that the impact for people in financial need will be a welcome relief.

Kind regards

Gordon Ramsay

________________________________________

A single mother (we will call her Betty) of 3 children under 10 years of age presented seeking assistance after her ACT house was flooded during the recent heavy rains. All of her Christmas presents that was under her tree were damaged and had to be discarded.

Betty was quite distressed as she had paid for all her gifts on a Lay By while only Parenting Allowance from Centrelink. Normally Betty manages but with the rain ruining her Christmas it all became too much for her.

Betty had never had to ask for assistance before, but she found out about UnitingCare Kippax and in particular the Emergency Relief Program and so made an appointment.

When Betty presented and we explained how we could help her situation tears of relief rolled down her face.

In the space of an hour we were able to assist her with a Christmas hamper (including a frozen chicken) and Christmas gifts for her children and we also pay her outstanding Telstra account.

Betty is one of over 300 families who we have assisted during this December and we are also expecting to assist a further 200 families before Christmas as well as delivering another 100 Christmas Hampers to refuges throughout the ACT.

This work goes on all year. Every week we assist hundreds of people who are in real need; the support we offer goes far beyond the practical assistance given: support with Advocacy, referrals to appropriate agencies that further assist, budget counseling are a standard part of what we do.

During the financial year 09-10 we assisted 5,555 individuals who sought our help throughout the ACT.

The Federal Government has reformed Australia’s Freedom of Information laws. The new laws favour disclosure and are designed to provide greater transparency and openness.

The reforms include abolishing lodgement fees for FOI claims. The first five hours of time taken by a Minister or public official to make a decision on request for information is now free of charge, and access to an individual’s own personal information is also free of charge. If an agency takes longer than the statutory time limit to respond to an FOI request, the agency cannot impose any charge at all (unless an extension of time has been approved). A Minister or agency may also waive or reduce charges, but must, in any event, inform an FOI applicant if they will be required to pay charges. An FOI applicant can apply to have chargers corrected, reduced or waived if, for example, the charges would cause financial hardship.

The reforms also established the Office of the Australian information Commissioner. The Australian Information Commissioner, supported by the Privacy Commissioner and a new Freedom of Information Commissioner, is a specialist independent monitor with the ability to review FOI decisions and investigate complaints. The Australian Information Commissioner will also work with agencies to develop best practice standards in the areas of FOI and privacy, and to monitor compliance.

From 1 May 2011 all information disclosed as result of an FOI request will have to be published online with ten days of the disclosure, unless the information is exempt (as would be the case in relation to private or personal information).

More information and assistance can be sought from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner on 1200 363 992 or www.oiac.gov.au

NORTH CANBERRA SCHOOLS GO GREEN

15 December 2010

14 Schools from the Fraser Electorate have received grants from the Federal Government to become more energy efficient. Each successful school will receive $50,000 to help install a range of green technologies including solar panels and other renewable power systems and rainwater tanks.

Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Greg Combet, and the Parliamentary Secretary Mark Dreyfus, announced the grants as part of an announcement today which saw 1,226 schools from across the country receive  $51 million from the Australian Government’s $420 million National Solar Schools Program.

Federal Member for Fraser, Andrew Leigh, congratulated the schools on taking positive steps to deal with climate change.                                                            

“Our schools have realised the threat which climate change presents and are looking at the green steps they can take,” said Dr Leigh. 

“Canberra schools have already started doing some great things. We have schools with solar panels that not only provide green energy for the school but allow students to learn about energy use by having smart meters that allow real time monitoring of energy consumption across the school. 

“The National Solar Schools Program will give an opportunity to these 14 schools to become more sustainable as well as have students learn about energy use and the renewable energy sector firsthand. 

“We’re helping schools become energy efficient while also skilling our students for the world of tomorrow,” concluded Dr Leigh. 

The Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Greg Combet, said more than 2,600 schools across the nation had already been funded under the  National Solar Schools Program and more than 93 per cent of those projects included solar power systems. 

“This equates to approximately 11 megawatts of solar power – the equivalent of meeting the electricity needs of around 2,400 average households each day,” Mr Combet said. 

Applications were assessed using merit-based criteria, meaning schools had to demonstrate value for money, as well as environmental and educational benefits. Applicants who were not successful in this round will be eligible to re-apply in future rounds. 

Further information about the National Solar Schools Program including a list of all successful grant recipients is available on the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency website: www.climatechange.gov.au

Appendix 

List of grant recipients

Lake Ginninderra College

Campbell Primary School

Evatt Primary School

Kaleen Primary School

Lyneham High School

Macquarie Primary School

Canberra High School

Black Mountain School

Turner School

Majura Primary

Good Shepherd Primary School

St Thomas More's Primary School

Blue Gum Community School

Rosary Primary School

01 December 2010 Bamaga, Qld - Northern Peninsula Area regional council Mayor Joseph Elu address the parliamentary committee inquiry into the Wild Rivers legislation - Photo: Cameron Laird (Ph: +61 418 238811)

Some photographs from the House Economics Committee's Wild Rivers hearings in Cape York (courtesy of Cameron Laird).

01 December 2010 Bamaga, Qld - Leslie Footscray, 32 fishes for mackeral from the Seasia jetty near Bamaga, Cape York, QLD - Photo: Cameron Laird (Ph: +61 418 238811)

01 December 2010 Bamaga, Qld - Parliamentary committee inquiry into the Wild Rivers legislation - Photo: Cameron Laird (Ph: +61 418 238811)