Newsletters 2024

Week 92: The Future Gas Strategy and other items to note in next week's Budget

Kylea speaking about our independent North Sydney at Climate 200's Doing Politics Differently event.

This week, as climate scientists say the world is on track to reach a "semi-dystopian" 2.5°C of global warming, the Albanese Government has released a net zero transition plan that is — dismayingly — led with gas.

This Future Gas Strategy will lock in fossil fuel use for decades and it is entirely out of step with global climate goals. At a time when we should be cutting fossil fuel subsidies to support Australians with costs of living and prepare for a warming world, the Government is instead using taxpayer dollars to help gas companies "drill, dig and explore".

Australians deserve better, and I am committed to conducting a robust and balanced assessment of the Government's proposed approach as more details emerge.

On a more positive note, we've made good progress this week on HECS student loans and support for victims of domestic violence.

Early last year, my office heard from young Australians who were seriously concerned about their HECS loans and the exorbitantly high interest being charged on money that they had already repaid months ago. After over a year’s work by my team and others on the crossbench, the Government has now agreed to fix HECS indexation, and to retrospectively adjust last year’s rate as well. Well done Kate and all others who have helped raise this issue in North Sydney — you know who you are!

Similarly, on domestic violence, I have been pushing and pushing for the expansion of the Staying Home Leaving Violence Program in response to feedback from frontline organisations like Mary's House and Women and Children First. So it was wonderful to see the NSW Government on Monday finally agreeing to fund the statewide rollout of this program for the benefit of our women, children and community as a whole.

I'll be combing through the Federal Budget next week for more detail on how HECS, the Future Gas Strategy, and other initiatives will be funded. If you would like to find out more, please do join me, social entrepreneur Jo Taranto and Chief Executive Women's Melanie Fernandez the following week, on Tuesday 21 May, for a post-budget panel discussion.

While our work is far from done — thank you, North Sydney, for working with me to change the climate in Canberra.

- KT

 

COME AND MEET KYLEA

UNPACKING THE FEDERAL BUDGET

TUE 21 MAY
7:00PM-8:00PM
WILLOUGHBY BOWLING CLUB

Join Kylea, social entrepreneur Jo Taranto, and Chief Executive Women's Melanie Fernandez to find out more about the Federal Budget 2024-25, and what the Government's funding decisions mean for our community.

Register

STREET MEET

THU 23 MAY
2:30PM-3:15PM
GREENWICH ROAD SHOPS

Kylea will be catching up with residents and local businesses opposite the Greenwich Public School K-2 campus. If you’re in the area stop by and say hi!

PEOPLE POWERED POLITICS CONVENTION

FRI 21 - SAT 22 JUNE
ONLINE

Join Kylea and her fellow crossbenchers to discuss what it means to be an independent parliamentarian, and how communities like ours are strengthening democracy in Australia.

Register

WHAT'S ON IN NORTH SYDNEY

13-19 MAY

CLIMATE ACTION WEEK


WHERE/WHEN:

Events held at various times and locations in Sydney


DETAILS

WED 15 MAY

SOCIAL INCLUSION COMMUNITY FORUM

WHERE:
North Sydney Council Chambers

WHEN:
6:00PM-7:30PM


REGISTER

THU 16 MAY

ICE & FIRE COMMUNITY SCREENING

WHERE:
Dendy Cinema Newtown

WHEN:
6:00PM-7:30PM


REGISTER

IN THE NEWS

Teal MP ‘dismayed’ by government’s new gas strategy - The Guardian, 9 May. Kylea says the government's Future Gas Strategy is out of step with global climate goals. "This looks like ‘gas-fired recovery’ 2.0, reinforcing just how beholden to the gas industry our major political parties are," she says.

5 things families should look out for in this month’s Federal Budget - North Shore Mums, 8 May. Kylea has called on the Government to help take the pressure off household budgets with its upcoming Federal Budget via improvements in childcare, student loans, Centrelink payments, domestic violence support, and corporate taxes.

Tink backs domestic violence funding - North Sydney Sun, 8 May. Kylea has welcomed the statewide rollout of the Staying Home Leaving Violence program, commenting that "while the program has proven to be effective it has previously, and inexplicably, not been funded in any of the 9 LGAs on the North Shore or Northern Beaches, at a time when it is needed most."

Finally – an educated adjustment to HECS calculations - Media release, 5 May. The Albanese Government's announcement of a new approach to HECS indexation as well as debt forgiveness from last year is overdue, but welcome, Kylea says.

Royal commission into gender-based violence not needed to tell Australians ‘what’s going on’ - Sky News, 3 May. Instead of putting more time and money into another Royal Commission to address the domestic violence crisis, Kylea says Australia needs to be funding programs like Staying Home Leaving Violence, investing in early intervention programs and addressing bail laws to make sure that victims are protected from the perpetrators.

More media mentions here.

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Other relevant posts

Week 122: What a year for North Sydney Schools!

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Week 121: How North Sydney keeps on getting stuff done

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Week 120: Demanding more from the final weeks of parliament

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Week 119: On electoral reforms, and loneliness

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Week 118: From climate to the housing crisis, it's time we picked policies over politics

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Week 117: There should be no trick-or-treats in Parliament House

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