Advocacy Publications

ACTCOSS provided feedback on Dr Marisa Paterson’s exposure draft of the ACT’s Crimes (Consent) Amendment Bill 2021, which introduces a new definition of consent based on free and voluntary agreement. We support the Bill yet request further clarity and consultation regarding potential perverse outcomes on marginalised people.

In ACTCOSS’s submission to the inquiry and review of current health assessment programs in the ACT for children and young people, we highlight the need for the ACT Government to commit to a real increase in spending on health services. There is also a need to implement key worker strategies to attract and retain health […]

In ACTCOSS’s submission we call for the 2021-22 ACT Budget to work towards a fair and just Canberra through: A sustainable recovery from the social, health and economic shock of COVID-19.  Adequate funding for community sector organisations.   Addressing the ACT’s ongoing housing crisis.  Reducing inequality and supporting increased numbers of Canberrans receiving income support.  Improving outcomes for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples. Our […]

ACTCOSS made a submission to the Justice and Community Safety Committee inquiry into Community Corrections. Our submission highlights the overrepresentation of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples across the justice system and the experiences of people with disability and mental illness in Community Corrections. We also called for significant investment into housing, mental health and […]

ACTCOSS strongly supports passing the Drugs of Dependence (Personal Use) Amendment Bill 2021. Moving toward decriminalising a range of drugs for personal use will have enormous positive impact, especially for some of the most disadvantaged and marginalised people in the ACT and broader community.

ACTCOSS supports the use of body worn cameras by ACT policing and we recognise the positive impact these cameras can have on community safety and police accountability. We are, however, concerned about the expansion of their use into private contexts without consent and without a clear framework for securing footage that is more likely to […]

ACTCOSS has made a submission to the Standing Committee on Education and Community Inclusion’s inquiry into the management of ACT school infrastructure. The submission calls on the ACT Government to prioritise adequate and high-quality school infrastructure in all areas of the ACT, including and especially for pockets of disadvantage in the Territory. Our submission also […]

The ACTCOSS Gulanga Program, with feedback from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Sector Network (ATSIComSec Network), has provided a submission to the ACT Government on the future of the Yarramundi Cultural Centre. In this submission, we have listed suggestions about the facilities, design, use and management of the centre.

The Interactive Gambling Amendment (Prohibition on Credit Card Use) Bill 2020 would prevent online gambling service providers from accepting payments by credit card (either directly or indirectly), create a criminal offence and civil penalty provision for a person who accepts, facilitates or promotes credit card payments for interactive gambling services, and provides for the Australian […]

The Canberra Gambling Reform Alliance (CGRA) welcomes the opportunity to make a submission to the Senate Standing Committees on Environment and Communications Inquiry into the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Prohibition on Credit Card Use) Bill 2020. The Bill would prevent online gambling service providers from accepting payments by credit card (either directly or indirectly), create a […]