Andrew Leigh

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

In today's Drum, I have an op-ed with Senator Lisa Singh.

Malaysia Trade Deal: In Praise of Openness, The Drum, 29 May 2012

The rise of Asia is often seen as the rise of Asia’s big nations, like India and China. But even taking these two giants out of the equation, Asia’s share of middle class consumption is expected to outstrip that of the United States and the European Union combined by the middle of this century. A growing Asian middle class means a massive increase in consumption and spending on imported goods and services. Those goods and services include the kind of things that Australians produce and expect: a wide range of yummy food; high-quality education; and elaborately transformed manufactures.

As well as providing a market for our exports, the rise of Asia has also benefited Australian consumers. The past 20 years have seen real prices for imported furniture, handbags, clothes, shoes and medical products roughly halved. Real prices of computers, telephones and other electrical goods have fallen by about two-thirds.

A generation ago, Australians missed out on this because of high tariff walls. As primary school children growing up in the 1970s, we both recall our parents having to pay large sums for our school shoes. Back then, tariffs had the effect of doubling the price of imported shoes. Today, thanks to technology and trade, Aldi sells school shoes starting at $6.49. Indeed, market-opening has helped keep prices low across the board. From 1950-85, inflation averaged 6.7 percent. Since then, it has averaged just 3.7 percent.

Australia is perfectly positioned to be part of Asia’s growth. Working with our neighbours to the north, Australia can both sow the seeds of economic and social progress in Asia, and reap the benefits of new markets and better relations. Last year, the Prime Minister asked Ken Henry to head a review of Australia’s place in the Asian Century. While that White Paper isn’t due until July, the Australian Government continues to improve our engagement with the region.

On May 22, Trade Minister Craig Emerson signed the Malaysia-Australian Free Trade Agreement (MAFTA). Malaysia is already Australia’s tenth largest trading partner. MAFTA is about deepening that engagement, and removing the barriers to doing business and building relationships between the two countries.

More and more, Australians and Malaysians are working together. Australian companies operate in Malaysia, and Malaysians seek the skills of our business leaders and professionals. MAFTA increases the number of Australians allowed to live and work in a range of sectors, like finance to architecture, in Malaysia and allows them to stay for longer periods.

This is especially important for Australian higher education institutions who have facilities in Malaysia, like Monash University and Curtin University. Australian service providers will now be able to increase their ownership in education services to 70 percent by 2015, moving to 100 per cent by 2015. Malaysia has also raised the limit on Australian lecturers at a single institution from 20 to 30 percent, meaning that it’s easier and more profitable to take the expertise of our higher education sector to Malaysia. MAFTA will strengthen ecotourism accreditation used by Australian tourists, while Malaysia will work with our scientists to the carbon emissions of the region. While economists have sometimes criticised bilateral free trade agreements for diverting rather than boosting trade, this one has been crafted with an eye to our long-term goal of free trade in the Asia-Pacific.

Opening international markets has long been an Australian aspiration. In the 1980s, we established the Cairns Group of agricultural free-trading nations, and in the 1990s, we set up the APEC Leaders’ Meetings. Under Labor Governments, Australia has had a strong preference for multilateral free trade agreements. But with the Doha negotiations at the World Trade Organisation having stalled, Australia has championed regional trade freedom.

MAFTA is one part of that. The other is the negotiation of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. A stepping stone to the APEC goal of a free trade area across the Asia Pacific, the Trans-Pacific Partnership allows other countries to ‘bolt on’ at a later date.

As an island nation, Australia depends on trade for our prosperity. By reducing our tariffs, we help our consumers. By improving market access into Asia, we boost wages and create jobs. The Malaysian-Australian agreement is a downpayment on the opportunities that will flow to Australia in the Asian Century.

Andrew Leigh is the Member for Fraser. Lisa Singh is Senator for Tasmania.

I spoke today on a private member's motion, moved by Adam Bandt, to raise the level of Newstart by $50 per week.

Private Member's Motion - Adam Bandt
28 May 2012

The issue of movement from welfare into work is one that has long concerned me. It was the reason that I chose 12 years ago to study overseas, researching on the topic of poverty and inequality, looking at the issue of how to move people from welfare into work and the relative effectiveness of interventions such as government jobs, wage subsidies and training programs.

It is important that we make that transition from welfare into work as straightforward as possible, particularly for families with children. We know that there are intergenerational cycles of joblessness and we know that high-quality programs that increase employment are at the core of a civilised society.

The Henry Review, in approaching the issue of income support payments, wrote of the iron triangle of means testing. The triangle was payment adequacy, program affordability and the incentive for self-support. In the Henry Review a great deal of attention was given to the effective marginal tax rates faced by income support recipients. It was an issue that Labor focused on a great deal while in opposition. The Treasurer and the Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs spent many years focusing on the issue of high effective marginal tax rates. Thanks to much of the advocacy from Labor in opposition, those effective marginal tax rates have been decreased.

Today we are debating the appropriate level of the Newstart allowance. I do not think any of us in this House would argue that the current level of Newstart is generous. But the Henry Review argued that there ought to be a difference between levels of pensions and levels of what were called 'participation payments', of which Newstart is one. The Henry review argued for restructuring income support into three categories: a pension category, a participation category and a student category. It argued that pensions would be paid at the highest rate in recognition that people eligible for them are likely to rely on them fully for a long time. Participation payments would be paid at a lower rate to maintain incentives to work, the Henry Review argued. The Henry Review further argued that while there ought to be a difference between the levels of those payments, the same indexation levels ought to apply to all three sets of payments.

The challenge for those of us in considering a question like the level of Newstart payments is twofold. The first is that, as I read it, the bulk of the evidence suggests that higher unemployment benefits have the effect of decreasing transitions from income support into work. This effect is not as large as some have claimed and there are theoretical reasons where you might think it could go the other way—for example, if someone is having difficulty affording the costs of work. But the bulk of economic evidence—and I tend to go where the evidence tells me—papers such as Peter Fredriksson and Martin Söderström’s and the work of Anthony Atkinson and John Micklewright, seems to go in that direction. At the same time, we know that while we would like the Newstart payment to be a temporary payment, a significant number of Australians are on the Newstart payment for long periods of time. The Henry Review reported around one-quarter of Newstart recipients have been continuously on the payment for over two years. The issue of adequacy is therefore a large challenge.

If we had substantially more money in the budget, I would see no reason to oppose this measure. I would ideally like to be in a position in which we had the waves of tax revenue that were flooding into this country in mining boom mark I. But we are not in that situation at the moment and so worthy measures, such as this one, sometimes do not get supported.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/kNh9960f4rY

I put out a media release today with my ACT colleagues on the pension increases that are being provided as part of our carbon pricing plan.

MEDIA RELEASE

SENATOR KATE LUNDY
Senator for the ACT

GAI BRODTMANN MP
Member for Canberra

ANDREW LEIGH MP
Member for Fraser

Extra cash for thousands of local pensioners

Thousands of Canberra pensioners are set to get extra support to help them make ends meet, with $6.6 million worth of new cash payments hitting local households from today.

ACT Senator Kate Lundy said more than 30,100 pensioners in the ACT would receive a cash payment over the coming weeks, ahead of the introduction of the carbon price on 1 July.

“All full and part pensioners in the ACT will receive a lump sum payment of $250 for singles and $380 for couples combined.

“This extra cash will go straight into pensioners’ bank accounts to help them keep on top of their bills,” Senator Lundy said.

Member for Canberra, Gai Brodtmann said local pensioners will get another boost next year, with an ongoing increase to their fortnightly payments from March.

“In total, local pensioners will get about $338 extra a year for singles and $510 extra a year for couples combined.

“As part of our Household Assistance Package, we’re taking extra care to make sure pensioners have the support they need to keep up with the cost of living,” Ms Brodtmann said.

Member for Fraser, Andrew Leigh said about 93 per cent of all pensioner households will be at least 20 per cent better off because of these new payments.

“In fact, many pensioners will end up coming out ahead after the carbon price starts on 1 July.

“We get how tough it is for pensioners, which is why we’ve already delivered historic increases to the pension, as well as delivering this extra boost right now.

“And at a morning team in Amaroo on the weekend, Canberra pensioners spoke directly with Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs Jenny Macklin, and heard first-hand how they will benefit from the introduction of a carbon price,” said Dr Leigh.

To find out more by visit australia.gov.au/householdassistance or call 132 300







ELECTORATE BREAKDOWN OF PENSIONERS RECEIVING HOUSEHOLD ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS FROM TOMORROW

Electorate	Pensioners	Total of payments (rounded)
Canberra	15,000	$3,317,402
Fraser	15,100	$3,339,518
TOTAL	30,100	$6,656,920