Russell Broadbent (McMillan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

The member for Corio should look closely at how much he is being ripped off by the Victorian state government with the whole stimulus package with regard to education. However, I would like to congratulate David Elder on his appointment to that most senior position. Such an appointment is a historic moment in the history of the parliament, and I join with others in the parliament who have congratulated him in the other chamber.

On Sunday there was the magnificent opening of the beautiful Bunyip Auditorium. It is an absolutely fantastic and amazing facility. The local community supplied $1.25 million, the federal government supplied $400,000 and the state supplied $500,000 out of the Community Support Fund. But who opened it? The state minister. I go back to when Kel Anderson, former Mayor and councillor of the area and a great stalwart for Bunyip, dreamed of having a building like this. I remember Peter Knights and Michael Tuck playing in the old tin shed at Bunyip. The basketball court had one foot between the line on the side and the actual wall. But that is where they played; that is where they had all their activity. Importantly, the people like Kel Anderson, Kath Helvie, Bill Pearson and Max Padley, a former league footballer who lives in that area, had a dream. But I reckon they never would have dreamed that such a facility—which we would not have minded the minister being at to open—would be built at Bunyip. They have done a magnificent job.

There was a prostitution though of the protocol. If the local people supply $1.25 million through their council, through their endeavours, through their local banks and through their fundraising, how is it then that the federal and state governments come in, put their hand up and say: ‘Look at us. Look at us. Look at me. Look at me. How wonderful are we?’ They put in $400,000 and $500,000, which is not their money. All the local money was people’s hard-earned dollars, out of their rates and out of their community commitment to this magnificent building. I am one and I have had enough.

I was annoyed with our governments on Sunday because they did not stand up and acknowledge properly the local people for their input. It is time we had a bit of integrity about it ourselves, about what we claim to be the heroes of. The Minister for Community Development, Lily D’Ambrosio—and she is a fine lady I know—came. The state or federal government should not come in and claim the applause for what the local people have done. Enough is enough. All cheers to Bill Pearson for the magnificent job he did on Sunday and the magnificent job he did at putting that building together.

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