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

Since last we met in this place, the shadow minister for homelessness, Senator Cameron, and the member for Greenway, the shadow minister for communications, have been to my electorate to hear from people experiencing homelessness and those left without reliable internet because of the glacial rollout of the NBN. These issues may seem unrelated except for the fact that the government has made both worse, botching the NBN and removing $30 million from the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness in just three years. This includes last Friday's missed opportunity to give some certainty to the community organisation sector.

This government continues to reinforce the barriers that keep people in vulnerable positions. In Lalor, those barriers include the ability for community organisations to retain staff. We met with staff who have years of experience—workers who are efficient, informed and highly experienced in connecting homeless people to Centrelink services and getting them connected to the things they need. This government is bad at keeping people connected to their communities, to work and to the creation of jobs.

In Lalor we need jobs. The NBN will deliver jobs. Michelle Rowland met with local small businesses who wanted to walk to her about the lack of the NBN and what it means for them growing their business. This government is making it harder for those in Lalor—(Time expired)