Plibersek is currently the Shadow Minister
for Human Services, Housing, Youth and Women and so, understandably, housing
affordability is one of her key election issues. Plibersek says that the Howard
Government has typically blamed the state and local governments regarding
housing affordability rather than investing in communities.
In contrast, Plibersek says Labor will put
half a billion dollars into housing, which will include getting rid of
infrastructure charges and setting up a housing affordability fund and a
national rental affordability scheme. Urban design also needs to be examined to
create more affordable units and keep pace with immigration.
George Newhouse says that Howard has a
Thatcher-like approach to society with an emphasis on households, rather than
communities. He would like to see better consultation between federal, state
and local governments and says that federal governments can learn from the
example of local governments. Newhouse proposes a coordinated, cooperative
approach between the three levels of government to provide services rather than
a piecemeal strategy of funding.
Kate Lundy is Shadow Minister for Sport,
Recreation and Health Promotion. Lundy says funding to local governments has
declined, creating difficulties for local governments’ investment in the
community. She says local government spends double what the federal and state
governments combined are spending on sports and recreation. Instead, she would
like to see collaborative, cooperative federalism with local governments, with
a structured approach to funding community and social activities.
Photo: Andrew
Collis Caption: George Newhouse, Tanya Plibersek, Kate Lundy,
Meredith Burgman
Source: South Sydney
Herald November 2007 www.southsydneyherald.com.au