House debates

Thursday, 11 May 2023

Statements by Members

Stronger Communities Program

1:56 pm

Photo of Michael McCormackMichael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | | Hansard source

The Learmonth Cemetery rotunda construction received $20,000 for a rotunda for the internment of ashes in the electorate of Ballarat. In Rankin, the Stretton State College P&C Association received $18½ thousand for a community sports storage facility and shade shelter. I'm sure the Treasurer would have endorsed that. It's a good project, a good organisation. If we look at Corio, an organisation, the North Geelong Cricket club—a great little cricket club—got $7,868. It's not a lot of money, but it's received that for two hard wicket training nets, to replace the existing netting. In Grayndler, the Prime Minister's electorate, we look at Youth Off The Streets. They received a grant of a little bit more than $18½ thousand, and Leichhardt Women's Community Health Centre received $9,007 for an infrastructure upgrade.

Every one of those organisations is now going to miss out, because this mean-spirited government has taken away the Stronger Communities Program—a community program that Mark Coulton, the member for Parkes, put in place. And whether it's Grayndler, Corio, Ballarat or Rankin, every one of those is going to miss out, and it takes a lot of chook raffles at a pub to raise the sorts of funds that those organisations received. You people wouldn't know how to run a chook raffle. (Time expired)