Kate Thwaites (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Sixty-three out of 100. A process is set up and there's work done under that process—to rate these clubs, to look at what's needed, who's doing the work, where clubs need extra support—and that's thrown out the window by this government. A very wealthy part of Melbourne, where facilities are, as this club member said, already 'first-class', receives funding. In my electorate—because they had the gall to elect a Labor member—they were overlooked.

The La Trobe hockey club is one of the most run-down—I think that's how they described it—clubs in the country. They have asbestos in their club rooms, no lighting, no female change facilities, no canteen. In fact, their vice-president described their clubs as 'looking like the place they filmed Chernobyl in'. You get the picture. They missed out. The member for Cooper and I share a boundary, and I know the member for Cooper has been fighting very hard for this club but, again, compare and contrast: member for Kooyong—his facility rated 63 out of 100—$500,000 in funding. In my electorate—the Greensborough Hockey Club, rated 89 out of 100—no funding.

This really goes to the heart of the problem with this government—and Australians see it. That's why my constituents are ringing up my office and telling me, 'This stinks!' They know and the people who are members of this club know that what that government is doing is wrong. They thought they were getting a leader. Instead, they've got a marketing man spending taxpayers' money outside the rules with no probity and no proper process. And when he's called out on it, what's the response? Is he looking at how he might raise standards? Is he thinking about how people are a bit disappointed with him and that he could do better? No, none of this. Instead, he points across the room and he says, 'It's okay, because that guy over there did it first.' Well, that's not the case, but what a response! I think we all found out in grade 1 that pointing out across the room and saying, 'Mum, I was just copying him!' is not an excuse. You're the Prime Minister. Have some standards. Get some guts. Do it right. Follow the process. Australians expect that of you.

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