House debates

Thursday, 26 November 2015

Statements by Members

Bowman Electorate: Community Services

1:40 pm

Photo of Andrew LamingAndrew Laming (Bowman, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

There are some important advances in my report card 2015 in Redlands. Chief among them is the social enterprise that is kerbside pick-up, being introduced next year. It is a social enterprise which employs Work for the Dole participants and gives them a chance to get some new skills in recycling and repairing.

We also have swim lessons for some of the most complex and high-needs families. I congratulate Cleveland Aquatic Centre, Aquatic Champions and YMCA Aquatics for offering free lessons to families in my electorate.

The Imago Project is Australia-leading. We are going to identify every zero- to 5-year-old who is struggling on their developmental indices and deliver the care they need, including enhanced education and intense therapies from child psychologists and speech therapists.

Lastly, we have home repairs for pensioners. We are, for the first time in at least a decade, allowing homes of pensioners to be repaired and emergency maintenance performed by Work for the Dole teams. That is a very exciting trial and expansion of this coalition-leading Work for the Dole policy.

That stands in stark contrast to the policy marshmallow that is the Leader of the Opposition, who has never seen a policy challenge that cannot be met with a scare campaign. We know, with an election coming next year, that a coalition government means more jobs, freer trade, lower taxes and less red tape.