Victor Boyhan urges redress, USC abolition and forestry authority
Victor Boyhan set out three priority asks ahead of a general election, calling for redress for children placed on farms, abolition of the Universal Social Charge (USC), and creation of a national forestry authority. He urged political parties to include these commitments in their manifestos and in the eventual programme for government.
Three priority asks
Victor Boyhan presented three recurring themes from his time in the Shanadaran that he wants parties to adopt in their manifestos: fair redress and supports for children placed on farms, removal of the USC, and establishment of a standalone national forestry authority.
Redress for children placed on farms
He expressed deep disappointment that the house previously failed to support inclusion for children who were farmed out from state institutions to farmlands. He sought acknowledgment and non-monetary redress - including social supports, health supports, counselling and housing - for those he described as "locked out of the system," noting this as a personal low point and referencing a recent documentary filmed in his home.
Abolition of the Universal Social Charge (USC)
Boyhan highlighted commitments from many parties to abolish the USC, arguing low-paid workers continue to suffer under what was intended as a temporary tax. He said he will canvass for candidates in the coming election and encourage them to raise the USC at doors and in the media.
A national forestry authority and land use reform
He called for the establishment of a national forestry authority to deliver a progressive forestry business model, expand planting and remove disincentives. He acknowledged the minister's prior work, urged tax-policy review on forestry, promoted private and public sector engagement, asked for action on the ash tieback, and recommended revisiting replanting obligations that currently tie down landowners to allow greater flexibility in land use.
Next steps for manifestos and the programme for government
Boyhan concluded by urging collaboration across parties to incorporate these three asks into manifestos and the eventual programme for government, stressing pragmatism and a collective effort to get the measures "over the line."
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Thank you. I have three asks today as we sort of wind up. There's going to be a general election called within the next day or two. And there are three asks, and there are three reoccurring themes that I have worked on for many years on my time here in Shanadaran. And as the political parties now go about their manifestos, they make promises, they make commitments, not all of them will enter into the new or eventual program for government, but I want to flag them yet again. It has always been a source of disappointment to me that in this house our members, the majority in this house, could not see the way to supporting the inclusion of children that were farmed out from state institutions to farmlands who got an awful deal or ordeal. May them have come in to visit us, to see us and to talk to us. Only last week I was involved in a documentary that was filmed in my house and this was one of the reoccurring themes when I was asked what was the great highs of your time in the Shanad and what was my lows. And I had to say I have many highs and I'm happy and I'm looking forward to coming back here again. But my lowest, lowest moment was the time when we could not see fit to join and unite together to bring in the support for children below six months in terms of some fair redress. And when I talk about redress, I talk about social supports, I talk about health supports, I talk about counselling, I talk about housing. I'm not talking about money. But there has to be an acknowledgement and it is deeply, deeply sad for the individuals locked out of the system. So I ask we'll have other opportunities and we must move on and we must be pragmatic. So I ask that you would seek to include that in your manifestos and eventually the programme for government. I turn to the next issue which is about honouring commitments. And we know many people in parties committed to the abolition of the USC, the universal social charge. We know that low paid workers are suffering and having to pay what was a temporary tax. I took the time to Google today a number of political posters and campaign slogans and clearly you could see the faces of many politicians. Many of them have now gone, but may them remain here. And I ask that you make that another priority because I certainly intend canvassing for a number of candidates in this general election and I have already encouraged them to raise it at the doors and to raise it within the media. And finally I call for the establishment of a national forestry authority. Clearly we need a national forestry authority and I want to acknowledge the work of Minister Hackers here, as Senator and Minister, but I believe we need a progressive forestry business model. We need to improve the scale of planting and the delivery for forestry. We need to eliminate disincentives and anomalies. We need to review the tax policies around forestry. We need to embrace the private and the public sector. And that can only happen under a standalone national forestry authority and we need to address the ash tieback. So I finish by saying let's look also at the current legislation which imposes replanting obligations, which ties down landowners and we must be flexible in terms of our land use. So I finish on those three asks and I ask can we work together? Can we try and incorporate those into the manifestos? And can we seek our endeavour to try and get them over the line for the programme for government? Thank you. Thank you very much indeed.
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