Joanne Ryan (Lalor, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to commend the work of Reclink Australia, a fabulous not-for-profit organisation that works tirelessly to ensure that our young people from disadvantage, homeless people and people of all disadvantages are connected in their local communities through sport and the arts. Reclink provides and supports sports and arts programs for 4,500 people across this nation. It is a not-for-profit that is close to my heart as its founding member is a member of my community who has served our community well and gone on to support the broader Victorian and Australian community with his far-reaching work.

I would also like to commend the Andrews Labor government. On Sunday at the 21st Reclink Community Cup it made another $10,000 contribution to Reclink and called on the Abbott government to reinstate fully the funding that was provided by the previous federal Labor government to this important not-for-profit organisation that draws young and disadvantaged people together across this country and gives them opportunities to make a contribution through sport and the arts. I urge this government to reconsider and reinstate that funding as a matter of urgency.