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

[by video link] Right now Australians across this country and in our electorate of McEwen are fed up. We've been plunged into uncertainty and disruption because of a non-existent federal quarantine system and a slow vaccine rollout. The economy is bleeding hundreds of millions of dollars a day and billions of dollars each week because this Prime Minister hasn't done his job. He didn't get the vaccines. He hasn't built the quarantine.

We're the last in the developed world when it comes to having our population fully vaccinated. There are still people in the vulnerable priority category yet to be vaccinated. The delta variant is racing through this country, and everyday Australians are bearing the burden of a government that has left them behind.

The strength and resilience of everyday Australians in our capacity to meet hardships head-on is what has defined us and is what will continue to define us as we navigate this long, hard road out of the pandemic. At a time when our federal government is shirking its responsibility to our nation, I look to our electorate of McEwen and the stories of everyday people and their contributions to community and country for leadership and strength. I'd like to share a couple of those stories with the House today.

Despite the absence of leadership and compassion that you've seen from the Morrison government in this chamber, we can still look to the great people in our communities to be reminded of the spirit and courage that we all possess. Firstly, on working together: it was a real privilege in 2019, along with our shadow minister Linda Burney, to meet with the Whittlesea Reconciliation Group to discuss plans for an Aboriginal gathering place within the community of Whittlesea, which would act as a means for education and the capacity to develop deeper cultural connections between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. I'm pleased to report to the House that, in the last few weeks, the plan for the meeting place has been approved by council. The Whittlesea Reconciliation Group is a source of great pride in our community as people come together with the goal of fostering a stronger and more respectful nation. Projects like these are part of what makes our community so great and so strong. It's the desire of every Australian to promote reconciliation which moves us forward as a nation. I'm very proud to see this work being done in our community.

Another story that gives me immense pride is in our community is the story of Kilmore local Brian Hardy. It's one of life's greatest honours to be able to call Brian a friend. Over a long career in the Victorian police force, which saw him rise to the rank of superintendent and running the Police Association of Victoria, Brian challenged the status quo with his trademark courage and persistence. He sought to keep young offenders out of prison, and he strived throughout his career to find social and cultural solutions to conflict as opposed to legal ones. Brian's emphasis on the positive role of policing within the communities and on the importance of welfare for police officers was well ahead of his time, and he's faced a lot of opposition in his attempts to reform institutions in desperate need of change. Despite the obstacles he faced, Brian's legacy is how he worked to create safer and more secure communities and pave the way for many of the policing structures and services that we take for granted today. It was a privilege to join with Brian's friends and former colleagues at a lunch at Hogans Hotel in Wallan to celebrate the writing of Brian's much-awaited autobiography.

Over in Romsey, there is another story of service and commitment. Veteran Romsey-Lancefield RSL member Tom Murphy was recently granted the RSL's highest individual award, the Victoria service medal, recognising 57 years of service to the community. Tom became an RSL member in 1964 after serving in the Australian Army. In the RSL, Tom has acted as welfare officer and sub-branch president and was recognised with life membership of the RSL in 2017. The Meritorious Service Medal is a testament to Tom's enduring service to our community, as is his work with the RSL spanning more than half a century. He has helped countless Australian veterans and their families.

In times as uncertain as these, when the problems that we face feel insurmountable, it's stories like these that remind me of the strength and courage of everyday Australians and it's our enduring spirit as a country. My hope is that these stories will serve as a reminder of the good things that we are capable of. In the absence of the compassionate and competent government in Australia that we deserve, we as individuals, as communities and as a nation still have the capacity to rise to the challenges that confront us and to overcome them by working together. It's so important that in these difficult times we look for positivity when people are feeling stressed and under pressure because of the lockdowns that are the direct result of the failure of this Prime Minister, this health minister and this government.