Welcome to the latest edition of Clark Matters, my monthly email newsletter to help keep you abreast of federal politics and what I’ve been up to.
Urgent funding required for vital disability services
Recently Autism Tasmania and Disability Voices Tasmania announced that they’ve been forced to close their doors due to a lack of funding, despite them providing vital services for people living with disability in the State. I’ve been contacted by constituents who are alarmed and aghast by the announced closures, concerned by the impact that this will have on their lives, as well as the lives of their loved ones. I’ve also met with the sector, raised the matter in Parliament and met with the Interim Tasmanian Disability Commissioner.
Some 26 per cent of Tasmanians live with disability, compared to 18 per cent nationally. But because of these funding decisions, as well as the failure of state and federal planning and cooperation, Tasmanians are being left without the critical advocacy and support they so desperately need.
We’ve heard time and again from this Government that they don’t want the NDIS to be the only lifeboat in the ocean for people with disability. In fact, National Cabinet signed an intergovernmental agreement, just last December, acknowledging that they must work better together to address growing pressures on the health system and the NDIS. But the shocking reality is that many Tasmanians and their families feel like they’re being forced to walk the plank right now, and that’s simply not good enough. Governments need to fix it.
Federal Government must invest more to fix Tasmanian housing crisis
With millions of Australians struggling to keep a secure and affordable roof over their heads, there’s no doubt we’re in a housing crisis, and nowhere is this more apparent than Tasmania in winter.
With winter temperatures in Tasmanian homes averaging as low as ten degrees according to one study, it can be even worse for the tens of thousands of Tasmanians shivering in poorly maintained social and private rentals. And let’s not forget about the more than 2,300 Tasmanians experiencing homelessness who all too often only have a tent flap between them and the cold.
There’s lots of noise from the Federal Government about doubling housing and homelessness funding in the Budget, but the reality is that gross funding for Tasmania will in fact decline this year. This is an appalling turn of events and a shameful performance by the Government. Let’s hope the new Housing and Homelessness Minister, Clare O’Neil, will look to do much more, especially in Tasmania where the housing crises is literally staring us in the face.
The community can be confident that I will continue to seize every opportunity to press the Government to do better.
Government’s Nature Positive Bills seriously deficient
The Federal Government’s Nature Positive Bills have passed the House of Representatives. The bills established two new bodies, Environment Protection Australia (EPA) and Environment Information Australia, to oversee national environmental planning and approvals. They are a step in the right direction, but fall far short of the genuine overhaul needed to halt the climate and extinction crises.
For one, the proposed EPA is a shell of what it should be. A well-designed, resourced, independent and accountable EPA could be a game-changer to protect our natural environment. Instead, we’re getting a weak body at risk of interference from governments who have a terrible track record of protecting our environment.
I moved a series of amendments that would have completely overhauled the Government’s proposal and instead establish a truly independent, strong and transparent EPA based on the Commonwealth Environment Protection Authority Bill that I introduced in 2021.
I also introduced amendments to include a climate trigger to the EPBC Act, which would have ensured climate impacts were a factor in deciding whether or not to approve new projects, and prohibited any projects which emit more than 100,000 tonnes of CO2. What we now need is the Government to step up on the long-overdue overhaul of the EPBC Act.
Yours sincerely
