Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker. Perhaps if the member for Dobell spent more time fixing local problems, he may not have a group of locals so concerned that they are not being listened to that they have to form a group to represent the Central Coast. To set the record straight, the Leader of the Opposition did not launch the group; rather he attended the launch, as he is interested in issues confronting the people of the Central Coast. The group’s website—www.coastalvoice.com.au—reflects the views of the community in a series of forums and everyone is welcome to subscribe and post comments. Coastal Voice will publish the numerous emails and comments sent from the member for Dobell. I encourage the community to visit the website and see how the member’s staff members spend their day working for the taxpayers of the Central Coast: sending nasty, scurrilous emails to a community group staffed by volunteers.

The member for Dobell also viciously attacked Craig Thomson in this parliament on Monday night. I can assure the House that Mr Thomson has done nothing except work hard for thousands of Health Services Union members and their families. It is an honour to work with Mr Thomson. He is a colleague who is committed to the rights of workers. He is committed to a fair go for locals on various issues such as transport and Medicare. You will not stop Craig Thomson. He will stand up to the member for Dobell and he will stand up for the Central Coast. My advice to the member for Dobell is stop attacking community groups and his constituents and to concentrate on solving the problems that Coastal Voice has identified. This is an arrogant, out of touch, inept government with extreme views and an extreme agenda, and there is no better example of this than the member for Dobell.

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