Recorded on 5 June 2023, immediately prior to the debate on the Planning Bill, this recording features Jo Clay MLA, Rebecca Vassarotti MLA and ACT Greens members discussing the issues surrounding planning and development in the ACT.بقلم Jo Clay MLA and Rebecca Vassarotti MLA

Canberrans are proud to live in the bush capital, and with Greens in government, we have always prioritised environmental protection as a core concern. In this conversation, I shared our work responding to the biodiversity crisis, protecting our local habitats, building biodiversity corridors and ensuring living infrastructure is a core part of our…

Housing and Renting are becoming more expensive, so what can be done to help renters, first homebuyers and homeowners with the cost of living crisis? On 25 May we held a community forum in Belconnen to discuss these issues with the public. Hit play to listen to Jo Clay, ACT Greens Member for Ginninderra, Shane Rattenbury, ACT Attorney-General and R…

With Greens in government, we have taken great strides in improving the rights of renters. On 11 April 2023 Shane Rattenbury MLA shared the journey leading up to the ACT Greens ending no-cause evictions and introducing new energy efficiency standards for rental properties. Shane also asked ACT Greens members for their feedback and insights about wh…

This month, the findings of the ACT Legislative Assembly’s inquiry into dangerous driving were released. While there was some important media coverage given to many of the inquiry’s recommendations, especially those around the creation of new dangerous driving offences and enhanced police powers, the potential role of intelligent speed adaptation (…

I’d like to speak about next steps on the Planning Review, now that we have seen the ACT Government response. I am speaking in my capacity as ACT Greens spokesperson for Planning.بقلم Jo Clay MLA

The Greens want a vibrant city where people can move around easily. We want to preserve our remaining habitat and make sure we have plenty of trees and green spaces near where we live and work. We want a city where everyone has a home. We want a zero-emissions electric city that can deal with the heatwaves and flooding already locked into our rapid…

On Monday 30th January Network 2023 was launched. Canberra’s bus users are not happy, I have heard this loud and clear. We are trying to encourage more people to use public transport in the short term due to construction disruption in the city, and in the longer term to address climate change and traffic congestion. But this network has gone backwa…

This is an opinion piece published in the Canberra Times on 11 January 2023. Canberrans deserve a well-connected city, where they have a choice to live close to work and amenities, and a city built on principles of sustainability. High-quality, frequent, reliable, and sustainable public transport is central to that vision. Building light rail is ab…

As we come to the end of 2022, it has been a difficult year as we faced the third year of the pandemic. We have continued throughout the year to do some incredible work, such as: - We are continuing to work on our promise of providing everyone with a decent home. - We have been working with the community sector to make sure everyone has access to t…

2022 has been a big year in the Clay office and I wanted to catch you all up one what we’ve been doing: – We’ve succeeded in getting the right to a healthy environment into the ACT Human Rights Act. – We released an active travel discussion paper to kick off a conversation about what we can do to encourage Canberrans to leave their cars behind. – W…

Speech given 7 December 2022: Dhawura nguna dhawura Ngunnawal. This is Ngunnawal Country. Tonight we are gathering on Ngunnawal country. This always was and always will be Aboriginal land. Sovereignty was never ceded. I pay my respects to First Nations elders past and present and acknowledge them for their nurturing of future leaders, and I acknowl…

As the Minister for a range of portfolios that fundamentally covers “People” 2022 has been a very busy year. Here are a few of the highlights: - We’ve made real progress towards the ACT’s first residential eating disorders clinic in Coombs. It’s going to be a beautiful place for people to get the help they need. - We made amendments to the Senior P…

As 2022 comes to a close, I think the Greens in Government can look back in pride at what we’ve accomplished this year. I’m particularly struck by the translation of ACT Greens policies and promises into real action in the ACT - a great testament to the Greens’ efforts here in the ACT to work as Ministers in a power sharing Government. Just a coupl…

Today is National Threatened Species Day which has occurred annually for 86 years in commemoration of Australia’s Tasmanian tiger, marked as extinct on 7 September 1936. I marked the day this morning at the Birdscaping landscape plantings on David St in O’Connor. The ACT Government continues to take urgent action to protect all threatened plant and…

The ACT Government is asking Canberrans to consider the introduction of a right to a healthy environment in the Human Rights Act. A discussion paper has been released to inform consideration of this right. It poses questions for community feedback. You now have the opportunity to help shape the content and definition of this human right. Have your …

Tonight it was my privilege to deliver the ACT Greens reply to the ACT Budget 22-23. While this was not entirely a budget that a majority Greens government would have delivered there is a great deal we can be proud of. This Budget demonstrates the impact of having Greens in government and how a collaborative approach to politics can result in good …

A ministerial statement by the ACT Minister for Mental Health marking Schizophrenia awareness week.بقلم Emma Davidson

By building urban ecosystems, we will make Canberra a refuge for the plants, animals and ecological communities devastated by climate change, habitat loss, bushfires and urban sprawl. So on this World Bee Day let’s remember our untiring insect friends who power the pollination of the plants we love and need. Bee populations are under threat. Destru…

Extending voting rights to include 16 year olds is an issue the ACT Greens have been committed to for years. The evidence is clear that our young people are capable and responsible, and that they have a huge stake in the future that governments are creating today. Other countries have made this important reform and the doomsayers have already been …

With all the talk about e-bikes lately it was great to get out and talk to Jake from Canberra Electric Bikes in Phillip about the possibilities of these vehicles in the Canberra transport mix. Between reducing congestion, encouraging exercise, and slashing greenhouse gas emissions e-bikes have the potential to revolutionise the way we get to work a…

This week, I visited Patchwork Urban Farm with Tim Hollo to hear how Karina and Mikey's farm is going! It was great to talk about the importance of urban agriculture and the ACT's development of a Capital Food and Fibre Strategy, which will provide an exciting opportunity to shape our future agriculture industry.…

Expanding voting rights to 16 and 17 year olds will result in better, longer-term policies, and deeper engagement with young people on decisions that could affect the rest of their lives. Yesterday I spoke with Dr Justin Barker of the Youth Coalition of the ACT about what the data and evidence shows us about young people’s capacity to vote. You can…

I hope you’ve had some rest and recuperation over recent weeks -- although it has been a tumultuous, confusing, and sometimes deeply frustrating time. I wanted to recap for you how we got to this point, share a bit about where we’re going from here -- and to acknowledge the very real challenges and concerns we’re all facing. Read more → https://gre…

My Culture, My Canberra is a celebration of community - where you will hear from Canberrans from all walks of life, coming together to celebrate our differences. This month's speakers are Ericha Smyth (Eky) and Wisnu Trianugeraha (Wes). Eky is currently studying a Bachelor of International Relations at the Australian National University with a Sout…

Jo Clay MLA reads her recent opinion piece on why the COP 26 UN Climate Change Conference mattered to Canberra.بقلم Jo Clay

Featuring: Dr Sophie Lewis, Minister Shane Rattenbury MLA and Minister Rebecca Vassarotti MLA, and Tim Hollo Last night Dr Sophie Lewis, ACT Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment, spoke about a recent report prepared by her office outlining the ACT’s scope 3 emissions footprint. Scope 3 emissions are the emissions that are generated o…

A recording of an online panel discussion about the COP26 United Nations climate summit currently underway in Glasgow. Shane Rattenbury, ACT Minister for Emissions Reductions, hosts a conversation with Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young who is attending the conference, Professor Mark Howden who is the Director of the ANU Institute for Climate, Energ…

This month our speaker is Dr Tjanara Goreng Goreng. Tjanara is a Wakka Wakka woman, academic, unionist, former public servant and proud grandmother. She’s dedicated her life to tackling big problems like First Nations sovereignty, international mining conventions, employment and workplace retention, family violence, homelessness and the growing ine…

Speech given in the Legislative Assembly in reply to the 2021-22 ACT Budget by Shane Rattenbury MLA as leader of the ACT Greens.بقلم Shane Rattenbury MLA

For this month's My Culture, My Canberra Jo Clay MLA is joined by Nataša Šojić and Skye Predavec discussing their Balkan heritage. My Culture, My Canberra is a celebration of community - where you will hear from Canberrans from all walks of life, coming together to celebrate our differences. Nataša is a proud Serbian Orthodox woman and the ACT Gree…

Join Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr Sue Wareham, former Senator Scott Ludlam, nonviolent conflict resolution expert Felicity Gray, WagePeace activist Margaret Pestorius and Green Institute Director and our candidate for Canberra, Tim Hollo, to discuss what it would actually look like to have an approach to international relations in contemporary Aus…

Jo is joined by two amazing women, Dr Bosibori Better and Dr Jane Chimungeni-Brassington, for the first session in a new monthly series 'My Culture, My Canberra.' Jane and Bosi share some great ideas about their experiences and how we can make Canberra even better.بقلم Jo Clay

The ACT Greens team discuss the challenges, opportunities and different options we can use to secure stronger climate action. ACT Minister for Emissions Reduction Shane Rattenbury and MLA for Ginnindera Jo Clay update us on the state of play in the ACT - the only jurisdiction in Australia with policies aligned to the IPCC's recommendations. Greens …

This podcast is based on a statement I made to the Legislative Assembly last week on the important work we are doing as part of the ACT Healthy Waterways program. Our local waterways support so much life and are one of the great things about living in Canberra. Many of us enjoy visiting these waterways regularly, whether for exercise, recreation or…

I gave a version of this speech to the Inaugural Australian Repair Summit last week and I’d like to share the important issue of the Right To Repair to the online audience now. This is a really important issue, and one that I’m very passionate about, both as a Minister for Consumer Affairs, but also as a Green and an environmentalist. The summit ha…

ACT Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury MLA, and ACT Minister for Youth Justice Emma Davidson MLA make the case for raising the age of criminal responsibility.بقلم Shane Rattenbury and Emma Davidson

Emma Davidson MLA and Jo Clay MLA meet up to try and figure out why Gary Humphries was rabbiting on about statuesبقلم Emma Davidson and Jo Clay

Our community has united in an unprecedented way to make sure that Canberrans in need are supported through challenging times, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This is something every Canberran should be proud of. However, there is still room for growth, particularly when we look at the injustices and unique challenges Canberrans with disability face…

Ft: Emma Davidson MLA, In early 2020 I got stuck in New York as the world came to grips with the COVID pandemic. I had been supporting a group of Aboriginal and Pacific First Nations women who went there to tell their story and build relationships internationally, in their work to end violence against First Nations women. Over the month, I watched …

Ft: Shane Rattenbury MLA, Jaguar recently announced that it will no longer manufacture petrol or diesel vehicles from 2025 but will focus exclusively on its range of electric vehicles (EVs). Since the cheapest Jaguar currently starts at around $60,000, and you can pay over $300,000 for a top-of-the-range model, this might not seem like headline new…

Ft: Shane Rattenbury MLA, Address to the Smart Energy Conference 2021بقلم Shane Rattenbury

Ft: Shane Rattenbury MLA, Australia’s so-called “gas led recovery” is shaping up to be even more hazardous than we thought. The Climate Council has today released a report Kicking the Gas Habit on the harmful health effects of gas, ranging from the hazardous substances used in unconventional gas extraction to the health consequences – particularly …

Ft: Jo Clay MLA, I've worked in the recycling industry for over a decade. When I began, the buzz was all about zero waste. This focussed on the linear goal of keeping waste out of landfill. No one much minded where it went so long as it didn't cross a weighbridge. Exciting times! The ACT set the world's first big target in the 1990s, proudly painti…

Ft: Andrew Braddock MLA, To paraphrase the late American R & B musician Luther Ingram, If Loving Trees Is Wrong, I Don’t Wanna Be Right. Maybe not everyone is willing to wear their tree-hugging heart on their sleeve like I am, but is there any real disagreement on the benefits of trees, not just in the bush but in our urban landscapes? They provide…

Ft: Andrew Braddock MLA, Almost one in five Canberrans lives in Gungahlin. Or to be more accurate, one in five Canberrans sleeps in Gungahlin. More than 25 years after the first houses went up in Ngunnawal and Palmerston, there’s still no cinema (you’ll have to wait another year), no hospital (unless you’re a pet) and not nearly enough jobs for the…

Ft: Jo Clay MLA, November this year will mark the centenary of the opening of the train line from Cooma to Bombala. It’s a sad anniversary, to be honest, because trains stopped running beyond Cooma 35 years ago this month. An enormous amount of work and expense went into creating a major piece of transport infrastructure that was only used for 65 y…