2024-03-22
Highlighting problems in the proposed Climate Change Bill and Residential Tenancies Act and failed promises for LGBTQIA+ folks
By Hon Brad Pettitt, MLC, Member for South Metropolitan
New year, same old Labor government.
With just one calendar year of Parliament left before the next state election, things are starting to heat up.
This February was the hottest on record with 7 days over 40 degrees and yet we did not hear a single thing about climate change or heatwaves from this government, including from our Climate Action Minister Reece Whitby. This is despite the government’s long-awaited Climate Change Bill finally being listed on the notice paper for debate in the Legislative Assembly.
Western Australia is the only remaining state in Australia that does not have a 2030 emissions reduction target and the Climate Change Bill will not change that fact. It stipulates that the government must set 2035, 2040 and 2045 targets to achieve net zero by 2050 but importantly, it doesn’t legislate these targets. What that means in practice is that there is very little obligation for the WA government to reduce emissions in the short or medium term; this is a terrifying prospect with emissions set to continue rising during the critical decade for climate action.
The first few sitting weeks of 2024 will also finally see the first tranche of reforms to the Residential Tenancies Act debated in Parliament. There are some good bits in these reforms – such as allowing renters to have pets, reducing the number of rent increases to once per year and allowing tenants to make minor modifications without the landlord’s permission. But they fail to address the key concerns of renters – rapidly rising rents and the constant threat of being evicted for no reason.
My office has been working hard to address these issues by introducing amendments to ban no-grounds evictions, introduce rent caps in line with CPI and to ensure that it is the landlord’s responsibility their rental properties meet minimum standards, including for heating and cooling. I’ll also speak about the need for the government to freeze rents to give the incomes of the 700,000 people in WA who rent an opportunity to catch up, and support an amendment moved by independent Wilson Tucker to strengthen rent bidding controls.
This year I am starting a new series of member’s statements reading stories provided to me by LGBTQIA+ folks into the Parliament to draw attention to WA Labor’s failure to deliver on its promises to reform the Equal Opportunity Act, ban conversion practices and scrap the gender reassignment board. I’d like to thank all those who have already bravely shared their stories with my office and the Pride WG, Queer Liberation Boorloo, Rainbow Futures and Intersex Peer Support Australia for helping to facilitate this process.
Outside of Parliament I’ve been continuing to pursue consultation around Climate Positive Perth, holding consultation meetings at Whiteman Park, in Bayswater and at Perth Design Week. I’m planning future consultations in South Perth and in the South West, so look out for an invitation!
Finally, I would like to congratulate all of the incredible nominees who put their hand up to be candidates for the Legislative Council. I look forward to campaigning with all of you over the next year (and to joining you all in Parliament in 2025!).
Header photo: Brad speaking at the snap rally to denounce One Nation’s transphobia. Credit: GWA Comms Director, Dean Smith