The ACT Greens will use their votes in the balance of power to disallow ACT Labor's planned $11 fee on volunteers seeking Working With Vulnerable People Cards, urging Treasurer Chris Steel to give the community certainty and abandon the idea now.
"It's over. The Greens are closing the door on this unconstructive and unhelpful new fee," said Greens MLA Laura Nuttall, who wrote to the Treasurer this week.
"Labor shouldn't wait for the fee to be defeated by the parliament in September. It's time to accept defeat and reassure volunteers now that they won't face this new fee, because we actually value the work they do in the community.
"Since the Budget was handed down, well over 1,000 people have signed the petition I sponsored against this new fee," Miss Nuttall said. "Many people have made it very clear that the cost will turn them off volunteering.
"Like Labor's health levy, this direct charge is such a blunt, careless way to address a legitimate concern.
"We want a good WWVP scheme, properly administered. So, if too many people are applying for a card when they don't need one, let's explore how to best educate volunteers and organisations, instead of just making the whole thing less appealing.
"This fee raises so little revenue for the government that it's clearly not about the money. It's just a lazy, unpopular stopgap that will make it even harder for the government to properly look after people.
"Ultimately, the government relies on volunteers to deliver many important services they've outsourced to community organisations. It's wrong to treat local volunteers like a pain in the side."
