Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Our electorate of McEwen has been waiting for federal funding for the Macedon Ranges Regional Sports Precinct since 2018. This project has been fully planned, and it has continued to involve collaboration between community groups, sporting associations, myself, the state government and local council. The Macedon Ranges Shire Council committed $10.7 million, the Victorian government has committed $11.6 million and even the AFL tipped in 100 grand for this project. Both our state government and local councils recognise the need for our growing community to have access to sporting facilities. It's these facilities that help communities thrive and foster teamwork, collaboration and health within a quickly growing area like McEwen.

But despite application after application after application to the federal government for a grant under the Building Better Regions scheme, the Morrison government has yet again refused to fund this project. The excuse is that the funding process is competitive, but what we know is that, of the 54 community projects that have been approved under this funding scheme, 43 went to councils and organisations within Liberal electorates. The stench of pork is strong. The reality is that the Morrison government is using this grants scheme as their personal slush fund and ignoring communities like the Macedon Ranges who would benefit the most from having this money. The people of McEwen are relying on this funding to make their dream of a healthier and happier community a reality, and they deserve better than to be continually ignored by a government that cares more about its own re-election than it cares about helping communities. Our kids and our communities need a government that's on their side. Only Labor will commit to this facility, and only Labor is on their side.

The Morrison government's failed vaccine rollout continues to hurt people in McEwen as well. The recent COVID-19 outbreak in the north of Melbourne which has now resulted in nine positive cases so far is the latest example of where the coalition has failed on the very basics of what its job is: to protect Australians and keep them safe. They have failed on quarantine and failed on the vaccine program. Scared local businesses and families have spent the last day calling my office. They are afraid of what this outbreak will mean for them. The government has botched this vaccine rollout from the start—first, in failing to secure the contracts needed for vaccines and then in failing to get them to GPs and creating confusion about the rollout going forward. The opening of our economy is dependent on getting this health crisis under control and that means people getting jabs in the arm. The longer we wait, the more lockdowns we'll see. The Commonwealth is receiving 1.4 million vaccines per week but only administering 450,000. You can't blame supply when you're getting the vaccines but you're not giving them out. This issue is directly the result of the Morrison government. The rest of the world is moving on and Australians are sitting there pondering: what's the point of the Morrison government if it can't even get vaccines and quarantine right? It's an absolute disgrace, and the people of McEwen deserve better than being overlooked by a government that leaves them behind.