Craig Thomson (Dobell, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to talk about the local jobs forum that was held in my electorate of Dobell, on the Central Coast, on 17 April this year. The Parliamentary Secretary for Government Service Delivery, Senator Mark Arbib, attended the jobs forum and gave a wide-ranging talk on the government’s stimulus package and the effects that it would have on local communities like mine.

Over 200 organisations turned up to the jobs forum to listen, to participate and to see how they at a local level could be part of the stimulus package and how it could apply to their businesses. In particular, I would like to thank Mary Doherty, from the chamber of commerce, Central Coast branch, who helped to organise the forum. Because business understands the importance of these stimulus packages, Mary was glowing in her praise for what the government is doing in directing funds to make sure that businesses can create and maintain jobs in our local area. Working with businesses every day, Mary understands how important it is that these stimulus packages are put in place. She understands how important it is for local businesses and for the local economy.

I would also like to mention the Mayor, Bob Graham, who also spoke at the forum. He talked about the $1½ million that the local council is getting for local works that they have long been looking to do but for which they did not have the money for. In particular, he mentioned the netball courts at Wyong, which had been on the drawing board for 10 years but which a lack of funds meant could not be built. Already they are turning sods for the netball courts and people are being employed. So Mr Graham was very enthusiastic about the government’s approach to local jobs. This is a man who is not a Labor mayor. This is a man who was in the state parliament as a representative of the Liberal Party, but he understands the importance of these initiatives for local communities.

In my electorate some $400 million from the education package is being spent at schools. You could not have a better example of just how needed this package is than the Tacoma School, which I visited last Friday and which will receive $2 million for a community hall. The school has 156 students and has been trying to raise money for a community hall to try to involve the community in the school. This piece of infrastructure will provide not only much needed social infrastructure for the area but also jobs. That is one reason why this stimulus package is so important for the community of Dobell.