One week to the election.

Canberra Liberals: Multiculture

The Canberra Liberals have announced policies to promote and enhance Canberra’s multicultural and multifaith community.

These include:

• An extra $4.5 million for the National Multicultural Festival.
• $100,000 to support multicultural community outreach programs.
• Concessional leases for eligible multicultural groups.
• A suitable concessional lease to construct a Nepalese Hindu Temple and Community Centre
• Selling public land near the Gungahlin Mosque
• Reviewing languages used in ACT Government material
• Supporting volunteer language education providers

“A Canberra Liberals government will deliver more opportunities for Canberrans of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds,” party leader Elizabeth Lee said. “These initiatives follow years of discussion and consultation with the multicultural community, and a Canberra Liberals Government will always respect and work closely with these communities.”

Peter Cain, shadow minister for multicultural affairs, said the Canberra Liberals’ initiatives were proactive and practical, “unlike the undelivered promises of Labor and the Greens, … and strike the right balance of investment, aspiration and growth”.

“The Multicultural Festival is a wonderful event, and the additional funding put forward by the Canberra Liberals will provide more opportunities for the multicultural community to be celebrated in the ACT,” Mr Cain said.

“It is also very important for various multicultural groups to have the facilities they need, and that is why a Canberra Liberals Government will work with the various multicultural communities to enhance concessional lease opportunities.”

Master Builders ACT: Election priorities

Master Builders ACT has outlined eight key ‘do now’ priorities to strengthen the building and construction sector.

CEO Anna Neelagama said that the ACT was at a critical crossroads, with the incumbent government having been in power for 23 years. The building and construction sector is facing many economic and businesses challenges: the ACT is projected to fall short of National Housing Accord targets; consumer confidence is down; and new dwelling starts (the beginning of construction on a new residential building) in the ACT will reduce by 15.6 per cent by 2025-26.

“The biggest loser is actually those that live and vote in the ACT, who feel the crunch with cost of housing, cost of renovations, cost of new builds and even the cost and delay of delivering major projects with instability in the building sector.”

Ms Neelagama believes the sector needs critical ongoing support from the ACT Government.

The MBA ACT called on parties to:

1. Boost apprenticeship and training support for trades: All 18 construction trades in the ACT are in shortage. ACT Labor Party has increased the training subsidy for apprentices in the ACT to 90 per cent.
2. Back Canberra builders and subcontractors on Territory-funded projects: Amend the Secure Local Jobs Code to improve access for local contractors and suppliers to government projects. The Code led to a 26 per cent reduction in construction companies being eligible to tender for ACT Government contracts, and places a preference on ‘union-led’ contractors.
3. Deliver the right kind of land and planning: Fast-track land availability and planning for small building projects to meet National Housing Accord targets and address the shortage. (The 2023-24 land release program was one of the lowest releases in years: only 1,883 dwellings.) Different land types should be made available for development and varied use. 
4. Clean up the unions: Recent allegations of nefarious conduct – bullying, coercion, and crime – by the CFMEU nationwide show the need for change. The MBA applauds the Federal Government’s decision to place the CFMEU into external administration.  
5. Review the Reviews: Implement recommendations from Building Reviews conducted in 2010, 2015 and 2018, which have yet to be substantially implemented, including compulsory professional development for ACT builders. 
6. Turbocharge public infrastructure projects: Expand the ACT Infrastructure Plan with a longer-term project pipeline over the next 25 years.
7. A business support package for small and family-owned businesses: Severalbuilders have gone insolvent, including high-profile building companies delivering critical ACT Government projects. The package should support small and family-owned businesses in the Territory, including financial and cashflow management advice and development programs for family-owned builders.  
8. Review and remove nominee liability: The level of personal liability placed on licenced builders has gone too far, and must be reviewed so builders can enact retirement plans and transfer liabilities with businesses, not individuals.