Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Housing and Urban Development) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—Today we are considering a resolution to give formal parliamentary recognition to the importance of local government. It is a proposition that the opposition supports. However, in moving the amendment, we are seeking to strengthen this recognition. The opposition further recognise the status and importance of local government to our federal system of government. It has been the longstanding platform of the Australian Labor Party that there ought to be a referendum to give constitutional recognition of local government. We support the greater recognition of the increasing role in the range of social, cultural and human services undertaken by local government. Labor have a long history of implementing closer collaboration and consultation between the various levels of government and it is appropriate that we seek to have that commitment included in this resolution.

Finally, Labor welcomes the opportunity to join with other members of the house in acknowledging the dedication and the commitment shown by so many local government officials and office bearers in serving their communities, with little or no anticipation of financial reward. There are important issues and they all warrant recognition. These are of course reassuring sentiments; however, they are well deserved. There needs to be a much greater response than that. While this recognition is a step in the right direction, it is undoubtedly only a very small step and a rather belated one at that.

Our support for this motion is tempered by caution. We are cautious because we do not believe that the government has done enough to support local government—far from it. The opposition are cautious because we are waiting to see what real commitment this government is prepared to put behind the rhetoric of this motion. Our fears are not lessened by the fact that it has taken the government two years to respond to the Hawker report and a further year to bring this motion before the two chambers of this parliament. The current motion stems from just one of the Hawker committee’s recommendations. The committee made a total of 18 recommendations and, of those 18 recommendations, the government has fully supported only seven of them. If the recommendations cost any money, it appears that the government takes the view that of course they are something that the states should adopt. In those circumstances, there has to be much more action by this government in terms of its support for local government.

The motion goes to the heart of the current problematic arrangements, such as the suggestion regarding the new methodology for calculating financial assistance for local government and the question of the establishment of a local government liaison unit within the Commonwealth—and what we have seen from the Commonwealth on this is a rejection of that proposition. That is totally inadequate in today’s circumstances. It is time for much more. As the President of the Australian Local Government Association, Councillor Paul Bell, has argued, this motion is largely symbolic. It is time to move beyond symbolism. We do not quibble with the bulk of the sentiments contained in this motion—fine sentiments notwithstanding, this is a very timid proposition. It is a document that lacks vision for local government.