Members Statement: COVID-19 Green New Deal
Mr HIBBINS (Prahran): I want to thank everyone in my community for their efforts to get us this far. It still is a difficult time—an incredibly difficult time—for so many people, and as we open up we recognise that getting through this pandemic is only the first step. We are in a COVID recession.
Thousands of people have become unemployed and lost hours and now face economic insecurity. Young people, women and people living in the inner city have been the hardest hit, and we know governments are going to spend billions of dollars to get us out of this recession. The big question is: how is it going to be spent?
We need a Green New Deal for Victoria—a recovery plan that will create thousands of new jobs but also look after people and our planet for generations. A Green New Deal for Victoria means a renewable-led recovery, getting us to 100 per cent renewable energy. It means a big build of public housing that will help end homelessness. It means employing more teachers, nurses, carers and social support workers in well-paid, secure jobs to make sure that everyone can get the care they need. It means supercharging the recycling industry and employing people to restore our environment and green our streets. It means reviving our local shopping strips. It means investing in sustainable transport. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity—Victoria needs a Green New Deal.