Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to acknowledge the quiet but life-changing work being done by the Future Bayswater organisation, which, in partnership with St Vincent de Paul, is helping to fight food insecurity across Perth's suburbs. It runs the 6053 Pantry program, providing food and other essential items for those in need. The 6053 Pantry is made possible by a hardworking team of volunteers, some of whom I was fortunate enough to meet when I visited recently. They include nine-year-old Mitchell and seven-year-old Libby—inspiring young locals, already giving their time to help stack shelves at the pantry.

Every year, volunteers—including Mitchell and Libby—also put together Christmas hampers for households doing it tough. These hampers, packed with groceries and festive treats, offer a moment of hope and relief and a reminder to people who are struggling that they are not all alone. In 2024, the 6053 Pantry delivered more than 300 hampers to households—including 13 households from Girrawheen, which is over 16 kilometres away from Bayswater. Many had never reached out for help before.

Sadly, this is what food stress looks like in 2025: families skipping meals so children can eat, elderly people choosing between groceries and medication, and working people turning to charities because their wages no longer cover their basic needs. In the past year alone, demand for food relief across Western Australia has risen by over 20 per cent. It has made food-relief charities and programs, including the 6053 Pantry, more vital than ever. But we should also be deeply concerned that we rely on them so heavily. While the generosity of 6053 Pantry shines a light in dark times, it also forces us to ask ourselves: how better should the Albanese government be supporting— (Time expired)