PREMIER BARTLETT SHOULD BRING SOCIAL INCLUSION STRATEGY FOR TASMANIA TO PARLIAMENT

The Tasmanian Greens today tabled in Parliament the report A Social Inclusion Strategy for Tasmania, released last month by Social Inclusion Commissioner, Professor David Adams, saying it was an unfortunate omission by the Bartlett Labor government that after two days of Parliament sitting the Premier had not yet mentioned this important report.

Greens Health and Human Services spokesperson Cassy O’Connor MP said that the Social Inclusion Strategy for Tasmania as presented by Professor Adams, proposed 10 strategies to improve the lives of disadvantaged Tasmanians, and called on the Bartlett government to issue a detailed, formal response to each of those 10 strategies.

“Under two weeks ago Professor David Adams released his significant report, A Social Inclusion Strategy for Tasmania, in which he has proposed 10 strategies to address areas of entrenched disadvantage and intergenerational exclusion, and help ensure Tasmanians can access the social, economic and civic resources necessary to improve people’s quality of life, yet we have not heard a peep out of the Bartlett government since Parliament resumed,” Ms O’Connor said.

“The Premier is to be commended for commissioning Professor Adams to undertake this important work. He also needs to assure Tasmanians his government’s response to that work will be comprehensive and committed.

“This report presents some key, achievable strategies and policies to improve our community’s cohesion and resilience, and the Tasmanian people deserve a formal acknowledgement of, and response to, these matters from the Bartlett government.”

“Professor Adams’ report identifies that although work has progressed on social innovation across the state, ‘…the overwhelming image that comes through is that of a patchwork quilt of strategies and actions that just aren’t quite to scale, to scope, sustainable or connected as well as they could be’.” [1]

“The Greens stand ready to work with all sides of politics to make Tasmania a more genuinely cohesive society. We consider the proposed Social Inclusion Strategy to be a genuine road map for the future, we will be looking at it closely and we encourage all Tasmanians to do likewise.”
Cassy O’Connor MP Greens Health and Human Services spokesperson