Michelle Rowland (Greenway, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Deputy Speaker, I am proud to say I was born in Blacktown. I am proud to say I live in the City of Blacktown. My time as a councillor and deputy mayor gave me a deep appreciation for the institution of local government and for the importance of client service in public office. Rather than this perennial and ridiculous notion about changing the name of our city, it would be refreshing if the Liberals on Blacktown council were instead focused on providing some semblance of service to the priorities of their ratepayers. Where were they when their federal counterparts cut $6.7 million in Federal Assistance Grants to Blacktown council? How about Blacktown Community Aid—shut down after 41 years because it was defunded under the Abbott government? Or the $9.5 million in funds under Labor towards Blacktown's regional tennis facility—now gone under this government? And which suburb has been worst hit by the combined impact of this government's two budgets? It is Mount Druitt, in Blacktown city, where households are set for an average household loss of $1,066.

I note this directionless Abbott government wants to try and refocus on a jobs narrative. In Blacktown, the youth unemployment rate for July was 19.1 per cent—that is six per cent above the national average. Where were the Liberal councillors protesting the abolition by this government of successful local employment services transitioning young people to work, including the School Business Community Partnership Brokers Programme? The Liberals on Blacktown council are lions when it comes to changing the city's name but lambs when it comes to sticking up for ratepayers. I call on all Blacktown residents to contact their Liberal councillors and tell them it is not on.