Joanna Gash (Gilmore, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

In early January, the media carried a report about a proposal by the Young Labor movement promoting a form of national service for community work. I would like to respond to that report to show that the proposal is effectively way behind the times. The irony of the proposal was not lost on the media, which said at the time:

The youth wing of the party that repeatedly opposed conscription during the Vietnam War wants to bring back national service.

According to the report, the group’s spokesperson said:

The community service could take many forms, from being an army cadet to helping with chores at the local retirement village. It could be helping community groups or churches or charities.

Guess what, Mr Deputy Speaker: that is old news. We already have something going and it has been operating since a pilot project was introduced in the Shoalhaven four years ago. In June 2002 we approached the Prime Minister after much community consultation and he recognised the value of such an initiative and agreed to a pilot program in the Shoalhaven. That support was signalled with a commitment of $63,000 to match the $96,000 contribution of Shoalhaven businesses and community organisations.

The program, called the Shoalhaven Youth Development Demonstration Project, has been based on a model that was developed in Western Australia in 1996. In fact, the Hansard will show that I spoke on this when I reported the progress of the program in 2003. On 11 February 2001, the steering committee met in Nowra under the auspices of the Shoalhaven Area Consultative Committee to discuss the next step and registered 89 students and two teachers. I am delighted to remind members on the other side that they should not assume they have a monopoly on new ideas and innovative thinking.

In the pilot program we had 168 students complete training with organisations such as the New South Wales Rural Fire Service, the Surf Lifesaving Association, the SES and the Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol. Students gained accreditation certificates from the training and often took on further training in their own time. At the end of the program, 90 per cent of students went on to take up full membership of one of these organisations. Students were called out during the Shoalhaven bushfire emergency in 2002 and also took part in the thankyou parades in Sydney and Nowra. The main ingredient for success has been the encouragement and enthusiasm of the teachers and agencies involved.

Civilian cadets was set up to develop life skills in Shoalhaven’s young people by complementing existing education and training. This involved forming partnerships with Commonwealth and state governments and community organisations to provide opportunities for our young people to develop skills that would benefit both themselves and their local communities. The Prime Minister was so impressed with the results that he announced the program would be extended. Yet, despite this information being readily available to Labor, they are completely oblivious of what is going on with youth in Australia. In fact, it seems they might be oblivious to the Hansards on some occasions. They prefer to move in their own rarefied atmosphere in the deluded belief that they have discovered something new. I am sorry to disappoint you. But I am encouraged by the fact that, in principle, Labor support the concept and I expect with their grandiose announcement they will now fall into line and support the expansion of this most vital and enthusiastic program. So, if anyone on the other side wants to come and have a look at how it is working, give my office a call and I will be happy to arrange a briefing. I might add that since then we have also the leadership courses and pilot programs of the member for Mitchell— (Time expired)

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