The Greens will have three ministers in the next ACT Government, under a parliamentary agreement that aims to speed up the phasing-out of petrol vehicles and expand the number of social housing properties.
Key points:
- The new ACT Government ministry will be made up of six Labor MLAs and three Greens MLAs
- A governing agreement between the parties sets out "ambitious" climate change goals, including phasing out petrol cars
- Promises in social housing, light rail and planning are also been set out under the new agreement
The parties announced their new governing agreement for the next four years today, committing ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr to appointing three Greens to his nine-member ministry.
The agreement outlines a renewed focus on climate change, planning, housing and transport for the next four years.
Mr Barr said he looked forward to governing jointly with the Greens, who won a record six seats at the election on October 17.
"My entire political career has been based upon collaboration, compromise and working with other people to get an outcome," Mr Barr said.
ACT Greens leader Shane Rattenbury said he was glad to have a closer relationship with Labor for the next term.
"It gives me great confidence that the two groups are building a collaborative relationship for the next four years," he said.
The new Cabinet will be made up of nine ministers, with three of those spots being taken by the Greens.
Labor lost one minister in the election, former attorney-general Gordon Ramsay.
The new Ministry is set to be announced tomorrow.
Climate change, social housing chief among joint commitments
The headline promise between the parties is an expanded program of climate change initiatives, including pushing forward plans to reduce the number of petrol cars on ACT roads — now the biggest source of carbon emissions in Canberra.
Labor and the Greens say they want to adopt an "ambitious target" for all new vehicles sold in the ACT by 2030 to be emissions-free.
To help reach that target, a promised zero-interest loan scheme for rooftop solar will be expanded to allow people to borrow up to $15,000 to buy an electric or hydrogen car.
New electric and hydrogen car buyers will also be offered free vehicle registration for two years.
And the Government will also install at least 50 new charging stations across Canberra for electric vehicles.
In a move that will further distance it from the Federal Government, the parties have also agreed to new plans that will accelerate the ACT's move away from gas.
The Government already had a 2045 target in place for phasing out gas.
Under the new agreement, legislation will be introduced next year to ban gas connections in greenfield developments, and a transition program will be developed with industry to begin phasing out gas in existing areas.
New ACT Government buildings, whether owned or leased, will be all-electric, as will the planned Molonglo Commercial Centre.
The Government will also raise minimum energy efficiency standards for rentals, while providing $50 million to improve energy efficiency for social housing, low-income owners and low-performing rentals.
Monday's agreement also resulted in the Government pledging to spend $18 million on homelessness services, acknowledging the sector had not received a growth in funding to meet the recent explosion in demand.
The Government also aims to build 1,000 new affordable homes in the next five years, 400 of which would be public housing dwellings.
The ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS) welcomed the Labor-Greens commitment to housing, saying it looked forward to working with the Government to ensure the "progressive reform agenda" was successfully implemented.
"Community housing needs to be a strong focus if we are to meet the current shortfall of 3,000 social houses in the ACT," ACTCOSS chief executive Emma Campbell said.
"We also call on the new government to enact a Right to Housing in the ACT Human Rights Act."
Editor's note: This article originally stated at least one Labor MLA from the previous assembly would have to leave Cabinet. This was incorrect.
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2020-11-02 05:54:00Z
CBMiZmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIwLTExLTAyL2FjdC1sYWJvci1ncmVlbi1wYXJsaWFtZW50YXJ5LWFncmVlbWVudC1jbGltYXRlLWNoYW5nZS8xMjgzNzgwNtIBJ2h0dHBzOi8vYW1wLmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvYXJ0aWNsZS8xMjgzNzgwNg
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