From My Desk
My second term now draws to a close and the ACT Legislative Assembly will go into caretaker mode as of tomorrow and we will be changing gears now heading towards the upcoming election. However, this is still my regular newsletter, and I just wanted to share some recent updates on Yerrabi matters.
After multiple residents in Casey, Ngunnawal, Taylor, Moncrieff, and Jacka expressed concerns about the frequent power outages, I responded straight away by questioning this Labor-Greens Government on why this was happening and what they were going to do about it. Chief Minister for the ACT Andrew Barr responded with “the Government has a role in supporting transition of the energy system to net zero while maintaining affordable, secure and reliable energy, storage and nationally significant transmission projects.” My concern is that we are risking reliable power supply for the move to net zero.
The Chief Minister also stated that “for those affected by these power outages, customers are entitled to rebates from the energy retailer or energy distributor if they fail to meet Guaranteed Service Levels. Additionally, customers can also make a claim for compensation for damage to their property and are assessed on an individual basis.”
Here is the link: https://www.evoenergy.com.au/Your-Energy/Make-a-claim
Additionally, during this term, we were able to produce 21 Back in 5 Videos promoting local businesses. This whole idea originated back in 2017 when the ACT Government started construction of the light rail in the Gungahlin Town Centre. This construction had a big impact on trade for business. The government at the time was not interested in offering any real support for these businesses and that is when I started ‘Back in 5’. The whole concept was to simply help promote the business and encourage locals to support these businesses during this difficult time. I find it important to try and support local where we can; these business owners are mums and dads just like you and I, who have a passion for business, want to offer a service or product, create employment and contribute to our thriving community.
Check out my Youtube channel here.
Out and About
It has been a real honour to have been included in the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) community from the very start and attend as the guest of honour for the opening of the BAPS Swaminarayan Hindu Mandir and Community Centre in Taylor. Advocating for this now allows the Hindu community a sacred space for people to gather, worship together and strengthen the community.
Your Suburb, Your Say
If you have not done so already, please take a few minutes to complete my community survey ‘Your Suburb, Your Say’. It will take you less than 3 minutes to complete. The survey can be found here.
The final two weeks of sitting for this term wrapped up last week, and it is good to be out and about again! Now that parliamentary business has finished up for the term, my focus is now being out in the electorate every day! If you see me out in your suburb, down the street or at your local shops, come on out for a chat!
Engaging with those living in Yerrabi and responding to their concerns has been a priority of mine. It has been an absolute privilege to do so for the last eight years. I hope to continue to represent the people of Yerrabi for another four years post polling day on October 19.
Portfolio
Budget Debates
As I indicated in my last newsletter, there was much that was missing in the budget. In speaking to my Policing and Emergency Services portfolios, I noted that there was a lack of specific detail and massive delays. I questioned, why not give the details of where the money is to be spent? But of course, the Estimates revealed that this Government was re-announcing upgrades that had been identified back in 2018!
No wonder they were trying to hide the information. That is six years ago. I would say that is long overdue for these issues to be addressed.
Always delays! As with the Gungahlin JESC, it took the ACT Police to walk out of the Station for it to be finally fixed. And even now, Police are still waiting for the other services to be moved out. This was promised back in 2019, but they are still waiting. I am happy to say that the Canberra Liberals will make this a priority for the Gungahlin Community and ACT Policing. You can read the rest of my comments on the failings of the Budget in these two key areas here (p. 2378).
I also spoke on behalf of the disability community, reflecting their comments and concerns with the budget provisions. There were two important areas that were overlooked in the budget. Firstly, the support of Disability Persons Organisations. These organizations do most of the heavy lifting in supporting people living with a disability in the ACT, and deserve to be looked after. But despite their request for a funding uplift, there was nothing in the budget for them.
Secondly, There was also a lack of additional funding for foundational supports.There is the potential for money, but it will not be made available until the 2025-26 financial year. And it raises the questions: Why not make that part of this year’s Budget? Why wait until next year, when that money is needed now?
Honestly, it is time this Labor/Greens government was voted out of office. They are out of ideas and fail the community at every turn. Let me know what you think, I would love to hear your thoughts on these matters and anything else you wish to chat to me about.
And as always, if you have not already done so, follow me on Socials @Jameskmilligan to find out more about our policies as we head to October!
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