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Shadow Minister for COAG, Senator Marise Payne, has called on the Gillard Government to kick-start the stalled COAG reform agenda at the August meeting, saying stakeholders are rightly worried about Labor’s dismal reform record and the impending carbon tax.
The Labor/Greens carbon tax will hurt homeowners, renters, builders and manufacturers who are already struggling under Labor’s financial mismanagement and the worsening housing shortage.
Senator Marise Payne has paid tribute to the Indigenous community in Western Sydney during this week‟s celebrations held as part of NAIDOC week to highlight the achievements and contributions of local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
NAIDOC (National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee) Week from 3-10 July has involved a series of events across Western Sydney, including in Blacktown, featuring live entertainment by Casey Donovan from Australian Idol and traditional Aboriginal art classes and displays.
“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make a huge contribution to community life in Western Sydney in many areas including sport, culture and policy-making,” Senator Payne said.
“This is particularly so in the Blacktown local government area which has the second highest proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in its population in the Sydney metropolitan area.
“I would like to congratulate all members of the local community, including Aboriginal and non- Aboriginal people for making NAIDOC Week a great success in Blacktown City and for their continuing work in building relationships that help galvanise the Western Sydney community.”
Senator Payne said that NAIDOC Week„s celebration of Aboriginal culture in Western Sydney was a great example of its success.
“This event has grown significantly in recent years. As it has grown it has been embraced by the whole community, especially in Western Sydney, where the majority of non-rural Indigenous Australians reside,” Senator Payne said.
“We look forward to seeing this event grow in the future and advance the cause of Reconciliation.”
Labor continues to move at a snail’s pace on housing affordability, with the COAG Reform Council unable to demonstrate genuine progress on the four national partnerships that underpin the National Affordable Housing Agreement: Performance report for 2009-10, said Shadow Minister for Housing, Senator Marise Payne.
