International Day of Democracy 2021

Today Abigail successfully moved a motion recognising that 15 September 2021 was International Day of Democracy, calling for all members to uphold the values and tenants of democracy.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD (10:05): I move:

(1) That this House notes that:

(a) Wednesday 15 September 2021 was International Day of Democracy, a day which celebrates the significance of democracy across the world, and encourages governments to review the current state of democracy;

(b) the voice of citizens are at the core of democracy, and Parliament should reflect the diversity of citizens within society in order for all voices to be represented and heard;

(c) the role of parliaments in a democracy is vital, including their capacity to act on democratic values of justice, peace, development, and human rights; and

(d) governments have the responsibility to act with transparency and accountability.

(2) That this House notes that, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, additional and disproportionate difficulties in democratic participation and inclusion are faced by marginalised and vulnerable members of the New South Wales community, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability, racial, ethnic and religious minorities, and older people.

(3) That this House calls on all members of New South Wales Parliament to work toward improving the state of democracy within New South Wales, by upholding democratic values and breaking down barriers to inclusion at all levels of democratic participation.

The full transcript can be found in Hansard, here.

TAX SUPERPROFITS TO PAY WORKERS MORE

NSW is missing out on tens of billions of dollars. By introducing a progressive coal royalty structure similar to the one in Queensland, we would have raised an extra $20 billion last year.

The NSW Government owns and controls, on behalf of the people of this state, the rights to the minerals and materials that naturally occur in NSW land.

Huge fossil fuel companies are only able to extract and sell these commodities with the consent of the State. It’s time they paid a fair price for that privilege.

The fossil fuel industry has made hundreds of billions of dollars out of their cosy relationship with governments. Granted permission to extract and sell coal, these large multinational fossil fuel corporations pay just over 7% in royalties back to the people of NSW – keeping the rest as mega-profits for themselves. These companies have a track record of taking more than their fair share and leaving communities suffering and stranded with poisoned groundwater, devastated landscapes and a stranded workforce when it suits their business models.

Globally, the hyper-inflation of fossil fuel prices driven by price-gouging opportunism and war profiteering from Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has delivered record windfall profits to these already obscenely wealthy corporations. In the last year, NSW coal exports totaled over $70 billion dollars, but the people of NSW will only see about 7 cents in every dollar, or about $6 billion dollars of that amount.

Rather than going toward schools, hospitals and public infrastructure, billions of dollars went into the pockets of multinational mining corporations. The Greens believe there should be more money for schools and hospitals and less for mining billionaires.

Sign our petition calling on the NSW Labor Government to increase coal royalties to invest in communities.

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International Day of Democracy 2021

TAX SUPERPROFITS TO PAY WORKERS MORE

Sign our petition calling on the NSW Labor Government to increase coal royalties to invest in communities.

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