The ACT Greens response to today’s mid year budget review is to look to the long term and make sure that any restructuring helps position the ACT economy for the future.

“We recognise that the global economic crisis and its impacts across Australia has put the ACT in a challenging situation, where some years of deficit are inevitable” Mr Rattenbury said today.

“Like other economies, the ACT will need to make some adjustments.  And that’s when the timing of initiatives in the Greens-ALP Agreement, and the way we handle priorities, become the issue.”

“Some of the best minor capital works we can get started on, in the February stimulus package, are green projects that quickly create green jobs and industry. Retrofitting energy inefficient homes is one clear example of the right kind of project.”

“We shouldn’t forget how this financial crisis came about: a focus on short-term profit by the richest parts of the global community.  Everyone now recognises that it is time for new thinking.

“That’s why the Greens-ALP Agreement is a commitment to building a green economy for the future and to strengthening the community sector.”

“We support taking a calm and sensible approach to the challenge of the next few budgets, but the direction we need to move in is still clear.”

“Finally, we are pleased to see that this new minority government is consulting the ACT community on the 2009/10 budget. The Greens urge people to get involved in that process. And, given the ACT Government’s shrinking income, to think about revenue as well as expenditure” Mr Rattenbury said.

ACT Greens Environment spokesperson, Shane Rattenbury MLA, has described the swift implementation of Solar Feed-in Tariffs as a win for Canberra.

“The commitment made in the Greens-ALP Agreement to bring the implementation forward to 1 March 2009, will make the ACT a National leader in home Solar energy policy,” Mr Rattenbury said today.

“This is good news to many Canberrans that have already invested in Solar panels.”

“It also sends the message to those considering solar power for their homes that feed-in laws are on their way very soon.”

“We also want to see the Government’s Draft Interim Energy Policy issued next month for community input.”

“Canberra is well positioned to lead the way on practical solutions to climate change.” Rattenbury said.

The Greens want a solar test applied to all new developments in the ACT, Greens candidate for Molonglo Shane Rattenbury announced today.

“Now that we know the benefits of passive solar design in our living and work spaces, it is time for the planning approval process to catch up and include building orientation and access to sunshine in its development approval process,” said Rattenbury

“For instance, the development proposed for the Burnie Court site in Lyons, as described in Draft Variation No 288, is laid out in such a way that it makes poor use of the free energy of the sun.”

“At the moment, the Territory Plan says that overshadowing is allowed so long as it allows a minimum of three hours in some part of the living areas of existing dwellings. That’s a pretty minimal requirement”

“The Lyons Estate (nee Burnie Court) redevelopment is starting from scratch, so there is no reason why every single dwelling should not have good solar access.”

“The entire new development of Molonglo is the same. We have to be building suburbs now that are fit for the 21st century, not designed like it is the 1980’s.”

“We have to get smarter about planning and building if we want to reduce our carbon footprint and our planning system has a key part to plan in this process,” concluded Rattenbury

Many of you who have travelled to different parts of the world know how lucky we are to live here in Canberra.  After many years of living here myself, I have recently spent a couple of years working abroad.  It was a wonderful experience.  It also reinforced in my mind that Canberra is not only a great place to live, but that it can be even better.

Despite our great prosperity and quality of life, we also face great challenges.  We are living unsustainably.  The prosperity is not universal.  These are the questions that must be answered by those who seek election this year.

During this campaign, you will hear plenty of people making commentary about the Greens and where we fit on the political spectrum.  Let me save them some time and spell it out now.  The Greens are not a party of the left, nor are we a party of the right – we are the party that is out in front.

I was heavily involved in the election campaign in 1995 when we first had Greens elected to the ACT Legislative Assembly, and I can tell you that some of the ideas we were criticised for then are mainstream thinking now.  This is a consistent pattern for the Greens.  The ideas we put on the table today are the policies of the old political parties in a few years time.  While other parties are looking at the next opinion poll, we are looking at what is needed for this town, and this planet, for the next 15 to 20 years.  And that is the sort of thinking we need to address many of the serious challenges we face.

As we focus on a Legislative Assembly election, and what an ACT government can do, I want to share with you the Greens vision of how we can build a city that can cope with the pressures of the 21st century, a city that fulfils our hope that a better future is possible, a city that our children will thanks us for.

Our vision is a city where we do not build motorways through our nature parks; a city with a modern mass transit system, where you can get a ride more than once an hour, and where if a family needs a car, they only need one.

We want a city with declining greenhouse emissions.  For those of you who don’t know, the Stanhope Labor government has set a target that will see Canberra’s greenhouse emissions increase 14% above 1990 levels by 2025.  This is the height of mediocrity, an embarrassing and unforgivable position given the urgency of tackling climate change.

Our vision is a city where no-one gets left behind, where people are supported to achieve their potential, and a city where major political parties are not funded by the proceeds of poker machines.

We want to build a city that is a hub for the industries of the future – a place of excellence in innovation and sustainability, leading the way in tackling climate change and protecting the environment, and creating jobs that will see our young people want to stay in Canberra.

We also want to build a place where the community is empowered to genuinely participate in the governance of our beautiful city.  We recognise that it is not only people in government who have good ideas.  Many times, those in the community have knowledge and experience that can add so much to government decisions.

This is the city that we can build with more Greens elected to the ACT Legislative Assembly.  The Greens need to be at the heart of shaping Canberra’s future to ensure that this vision is built in to decision making every single day, and that we do build a city our children will thank us for.

Together, we can take the next step to make Canberra’s future Green.  That next step comes on October 18, a great day to get out there and vote Green.

Thank you very much.

ACT Greens candidate for Molonglo, Shane Rattenbury, leaves tomorrow to represent Australia at the Triathlon World Championships in Almere, Holland.

“I’m really excited about the event, and very inspired after watching Emma Snowsill and Emma Moffatt’s amazing performance in the Triathlon at the Olympics.” said Rattenbury

“This will be my fifth World Championship, and I hope to post a PB.

Shane Rattenbury has represented Australia five times previously at World Championship level, including at the famous Hawaii Ironman.

The Long Course Triathlon World Championship involves a 4km swim, 120km cycle and 30km run. It is being held in Almere in the Netherlands, just outside Amsterdam.

Shane gets back on the 4th September.