Sharon Bird (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Deputy Speaker, this is an opportunity for members to talk about issues of concern to constituents in their electorates. Well, let me tell you, the constituents in my electorate are very, very angry today. Just over a week ago, the member for Whitlam and I were informed by Centrelink management that they were shutting the office at Warrawong, an office in amongst some of the most disadvantaged suburbs in the state, with elderly people who need assistance, unemployed people who need assistance and young mums, with toddlers and babies, who need to be able to put forms in for childcare payments and so forth. The government have taken this decision against the best interests of all those people. They have the opportunity to overturn that decision, and we are calling on the minister to intervene urgently. We were told that the office would shut by the end of July. We don't have a lot of time and we need the minister to give urgent attention to this matter.

The member for Whitlam and I have started a petition in order to bring this to the government's attention and to indicate how angry people are. Let me share the words of some of our locals about this, from the local media and my Facebook page. Mr George Bartolo, who is the senior vice-chairman of the Multicultural Communities Council of Illawarra, said that going elsewhere, including online, wasn't a simple task. Don't we know that, George! That's absolutely true. He said the closure was a 'huge loss'. He said:

The migrants that came here in the fifties, there were just about no services whatsoever. Now they're elderly … and now we put them behind the eight-ball again to access services.

Alice Scott, from Berkeley, was among those who campaigned against the closure under John Howard, and we are now fighting it again under a conservative government. She said:

It's about … the elderly non-English speaking migrants; they came here, they've worked all their lives, most of the husbands have passed on but the women are still out there, they don't drive—how are they going to get to Wollongong?

She stressed that the lack of parking near Centrelink in Wollongong was a barrier, as was the cost involved in catching public transport into Wollongong from Warrawong. Craig, on my Facebook page, said:

Most of you who know me are aware of my political views but this decision is one I can't agree with. A place like Warrawong requires this office to support the obvious need. Expecting the patrons to travel to Wollongong is not realistic or in anyone's interests.

Kristin said:

This is an area where so many people need this facility. It would be an act of bastardry to take it away. What else would one expect from a Coalition Government that has such a high disregard and contempt for any one in need …

Rissa Anne said:

… there are so many older immigrants around here that would struggle without a Centrelink here if they had issues with their pension and even myself if I have to go to Wollongong or Shellharbour …

This is the wrong decision. In the interests of these people, the government and the minister need to intervene now to overturn it.