Branch adopts new Agenda for Progress

Annerley Labor has endorsed a new, revitalised Agenda for Progress – which articulates the ongoing policy advocacy program for the branch over the next few years to come.

The statement, reflecting the core progressive values of Annerley Labor, contains a preamble and is built on ‘6 pillars’ – Just Society, Inclusive Economy, Responsive Governance, Sustainable Planet, Co-operative World and Supportive Community.

Currently, members are assisting with prioritising the newly adopted agenda items, to focus on some of the key issues the Branch is keen to see embraced and implemented by the Australian Labor Party.

Some of the prioritised agenda items as identified by members include:

• Improving affordable housing availability through investment in public housing, planning and development initiatives, limits on investor tax concessions, and rent caps and controls.
• Reforming our tax system to ensure progressive, fair and equitable contributions from individuals and corporations, the removal of tax concessions that adversely impact our social fabric, and the implementation of tax policies that support wider social goals.
• Reforming our media laws to ensure diversity of ownership, transparency and balance, requiring factual reporting and the corporate disclosure of the media’s primary purpose.
• Rapidly moving towards a sustainable, low carbon economy that is significantly dependent upon renewable energy.
• Ending offshore processing and indefinite detention for people seeking asylum in Australia.
• Providing access to regular low-cost public transport options including access to safe, active travel across existing and future road networks.

To access the new Agenda for Progress, visit https://annerleylabor.org/agenda-for-progress/

ALP elected representatives encouraged to publicly support Voice

Annerley Labor members have called on all elected ALP Federal, State and Council representatives to publicly confirm their support for the proposed Voice to Parliament and to outline their activities to support the Yes campaign.

Members strongly view the Voice to Parliament referendum as a ‘once in a generation opportunity to unite our nation and correct a wrong that has been with us for 123 years’ and are most eager to see all Labor representatives publicly and actively campaign for a win later this year.

Locally, Graham Perrett MP, federal Member for Moreton and Mark Bailey MP, state Member for Miller, have been very vocal in their support for the Yes campaign.

At the recently held Junction Park State School fete, both representatives were active in spreading the message as to why the Voice was instrumental in the reconciliation process with our First Nations communities.

Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee report welcomed

The recent release of the first report of the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee (EIAC) has been warmly welcomed by Annerley Labor. The report, which examined a range of issues, such as the adequacy of income support payments, full employment and support for families, recommended an immediate increase to JobSeeker – with a suggestion that it be raised to 90% of the age pension.

The Branch has since urged the Albanese Labor government to adopt all recommendations that will lift more than a million Australians out of dire poverty. These include:
• Substantially increasing JobSeeker, Youth Allowance and related working age payments,
• Increasing Commonwealth Rent Assistance, and
• Restoring Parenting Payment Single to when the youngest child turns 16.

It is important to recognise the work already undertaken by the Albanese government, such as making it easier for pensioners to work more hours without losing their pension; improving employment services to better support people with disability to find employment; investing in Paid Parental Leave to give more families access to the payment and providing parents greater flexibility in how they take leave.

However, in addition to supporting the EIAC recommendations, Annerley Labor has written to the Federal Treasurer urging the reversal of the so-called ‘stage 3’ tax cuts, which are described as ‘unaffordable and fail to accord with Labor’s core value of economic justice’.

Budget 2023: delivering ‘positive change’

In his post budget message to Moreton voters, Graham Perrett MP has voiced a timely reminder of the ‘wasted decade under the Coalition’, stating that Federal Labor was ‘getting on with the job of delivering the positive change that Australians voted for’.

Graham outlined that many residents across the electorate will receive rebates off their electricity bill under the Albanese Government’s ‘Energy Price Relief Plan’. Eligible households and businesses may receive a rebate of up to $500 off their power bills.

In other highlights, Labor’s Budget will:
• improve access to bulk-billed doctors
• provide aged care workers with a pay rise
• support pensioners, renters and parents
• make childcare cheaper for families
• strengthen paid parental leave.

Federal Labor has also allocated $120 million in the Budget to establish the federal Environment Protection Agency (EPA). The new EPA signifies a shift towards more stringent conservation standards and a proactive approach to safeguarding Australia’s natural heritage. The EPA’s ability to impose legally binding environmental standards will ensure accountability and strengthen the enforcement of environmental regulations nationwide.

The 2023 Budget also included over $3 billion for energy saving measures and hydrogen projects, as part of the plan to “electrify” large parts of the economy.

“The Albanese Labor Government has delivered a common sense budget, providing Australians with the stability, confidence and security that we need”, Mr Perrett stated.

“Our government is supporting families and businesses in our community. There is more to be done in these difficult times but this Budget sets us up to do so”.

Despite the usual, widely anticipated criticism from the Greens and a divided Opposition, post Budget opinion polling still gives Labor a large two party preferred lead.

Annerley ‘Town Hall’ Session: huge success

The local campaign to support the ‘Yes’ case in the upcoming Voice to Parliament referendum saw a massive boost of support from southside residents with a recent ‘town hall’ session held in Annerley.

Hosted by Moreton MP, Graham Perrett, the public meeting was attended by almost 130 people and featured special guest, Eddie Synot, a well-regarded Griffith law lecturer.

Graham Perrett emphasised the Voice as a way to respect one of the World’s oldest and continuous cultures. “This about recognition and reconciliation”, he explained to participants. Graham commented that the Australian constitution not only fails to recognise our Indigenous people, our colonial past has had a devastating impact – which continues to this day.

Eddie Synot, a Wemba Wemba man, described the referendum as a ‘once in a generation’ opportunity to ‘involve and give hope’ to First Nations communities. He spoke about the how the Voice was an ‘uniquely Australian’ construct, although other models from across the globe were examined. Eddie suggested that the Voice was important to many First Nations people as it would offer them a vital form of ‘dignity, respect and recognition’.

Eddie used the question and answer segment to address questions from the floor about the Voice and how it would supplement, rather than frustrate, our current parliamentary system.

More Voice to Parliament events are planned over the coming months and supporters of the Yes campaign are welcome to help out by emailing info@annerleylabor.org.

Annerley Labor is a formal supporter of the Yes campaign.

Members consider media law reform

Annerley Labor members, already supportive of a royal commission into Australian media diversity, used the April general meeting to discuss other aspects of much needed media reform.

The discussion encompassed a number of key issues such as defamation laws, ‘truth in political advertising’, reviewing the responsibilities of the Australian Media and Communications Authority (ACMA), press freedom (including protection of whistleblowers) and more appropriate mechanisms to correct deliberately misleading articles or broadcast segments.

However, members re-iterated support for the Albanese government to set up a commission into media ownership, especially due to the growing concentration of just a few media companies that espouse a clear politically biased agenda. It is expected that the issue of media ownership will be raised at the ALP national conference to be held in Brisbane in August.

Branch ‘Agenda for Progress’ under review

Annerley Labor is close to finalising its formal policy advocacy program – Agenda for Progress – which is based on six main ‘policy pillars’: Just Society, Inclusive Economy, Responsive Government, Sustainable Planet, Co-operative World and Supportive Community. The program places the importance of meeting human need at its core and will outline the main issues that Annerley Labor will campaign on, in line with already articulated progressive values.

The draft Agenda, already circulated for feedback from members, will be considered at the 2 May general meeting. Once adopted, the Agenda will be prioritised by members, published online and reviewed on an annual basis.

LEAN push on forestry & land clearing supported

Annerley Labor has unanimously agreed to support efforts of Labor for Environmental Action (LEAN) to update the state’s policy platform on forestry and land clearing.

Recognising that the land sector represents roughly a quarter of all emissions in Queensland, LEAN’s platform amendments argue that it is ‘imperative that the government has a climate strategy in this sector, while protecting a sustainable forestry industry, transitioning workers from native harvesting to sustainable plantations’.

LEAN asserts that by reducing tree harvesting intended to increase grazing land, and ending harvesting of native habitat, the State Labor government will be in a better position to realise its stated goal of zero new extinctions.

With the Commonwealth Government reviewing the Emissions Reduction Fund and methods for creating Australian Carbon Credit Units following the Chubb review, identified changes will provide new opportunities for high integrity carbon credits created through ending logging and the clearing of forests and woodlands in Queensland.

Similarly, the implementation of the Samuels review into the Environmental Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 will also create new mechanisms for protecting critical habitat and threatened species in both state forests and on private land.

The proposed platform amendments proposed by LEAN and supported by Annerley Labor include:

1. Develop a climate strategy for the land sector with strong targets and an industry plan for a world-leading land carbon industry which would create thousands of good regional jobs in managing land, forests and mangroves for carbon, and significantly expanding our plantation base.
2. Work in partnership with traditional owners to recognise and support First Nations knowledge of country and history of caring for country to ensure that traditional owners share in the benefits of this land carbon industry.
3. End native forest harvesting, in Queensland by 2025 with a fair and equitable transition to plantation timber.
4. End broadscale land clearing of forests and woodlands on private lands, through a combination of incentives, enforcement of existing laws and appropriate law reform.
5. Work with the agricultural sector to halve and entirely offset methane emissions from agriculture by 2030.
6. Support the commitment of the Queensland Jobs and Energy Plan to “review the planning framework for renewable energy development to ensure it is fit-for-purpose for the energy transformation” by amending State Code 23 (Wind Farms) to ensure that the Queensland Government can apply the best standards of biodiversity conservation for approval for renewable energy projects.

The State ALP Conference will be held in Mackay in June.