Tim Wilson (Goldstein, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Social restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic have protected our health system and saved thousands of lives. The JobKeeper wage subsidy has protected vulnerable businesses and saved thousands of jobs. But no single Commonwealth program can resolve every local problem. Spontaneous community solutions have been critical in filling the gaps, softening some of the worst effects and rounding sharp edges where people might have fallen through the cracks. I recently had the pleasure of joining Melanie Tighe and the team at the Hampton Community Centre to deliver vegetables and bread to senior residents in the Goldstein community. Many older Australians have been separated from the usual support of their family and friends during this difficult time as a result of social distancing, so we were thrilled by the interaction, and they were of course grateful for the groceries that we provided. Working with Food for Change, the Hampton Community Centre has harnessed Goldstein's great industrious spirit to help build resilience in our community. It's proof of how resourcefulness and collaboration in every community will help pave the way out of this health and economic crisis and ensure we do not leave people behind. We were proud to be part of this, because it's the foundation of a very successful community.