Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Shadow Minister for Regional Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that the:

(a) Stronger Communities Programme delivered on the former Government's commitment to deliver social benefits in communities across Australia;

(b) programme provided grants of between $2,500 and $20,000 to community organisations and local governments for small scale projects; and

(c) programme helped fund over 15,000 community-based projects across Australia; and

(2) acknowledges that:

(a) the Government has failed to provide funding for future rounds of the programme, with no replacement for small-scale projects; and

(b) community groups, already struggling with the increased cost of living, will have no other option than to fundraise for projects that otherwise could have been funded under the programme.

This motion gives us a real insight into the Albanese government. The failure to provide a funding commitment, to provide funding certainty, for the Stronger Communities Program gives us a glimpse of what lies at the heart and the soul of this government. Ever since coming to office last year, the government has continued to cut programs in regional areas where the communities had a direct say in their local priorities. It's more of the same with the Stronger Communities Program. This is a government that thinks Canberra knows best. It thinks it knows best. It simply doesn't trust local communities to come up with local solutions and local priorities for the expenditure of taxpayers' money. At a time when communities, households, families are dealing with increased cost-of-living pressures, this government is taking away a funding program which helps the sporting clubs and community organisations fund small infrastructure initiatives that would otherwise be paid for by the hard work of volunteers—in other words paid for by the mums and dads who pay subscriptions or actually raise money for those clubs and organisations.

The hypocrisy of those opposite, particularly the ministers, is they come in here and talk about the wasted years of the coalition government. They lecture us about the supposed years where nothing was built and nothing was achieved. But then they go back to their electorates, and they're the first ones to turn up to cut the ribbons. They're the first ones to turn up to take credit for projects they had absolutely nothing to do with. The minister for infrastructure, who's the minister responsible for the Stronger Communities Program, is a repeat offender in this regard. She's traipsing around the country taking credit for road projects, bridge projects, community projects—things she had absolutely nothing to do with. All Minister King has delivered in the 18 months since gaining office is a 90-day review which has now taken 169 days. We still haven't seen the outcomes of her 90-day review 169 days later. If you see a grader, if you see a crane or if you see a bulldozer working anywhere on a major public infrastructure project in Australia today, I can assure you of one thing—Minister King had nothing to do with it. She's funded nothing and delivered nothing in her term as the infrastructure minister.

The Stronger Communities Program was so successful because it actually worked. It was fair. It provided an allocated amount of funding to every electorate in Australia—$150,000. Members formed a panel with local community groups, local communities were able to make their submissions, and they were able to leverage off that small amount of funding to deliver something practical and tangible in every electorate in Australia. There were 15,000 projects funded under the Stronger Communities Program. I would humbly argue, as a lower house member from a large regional seat, that the only fault with the program is we probably should have got a bit more, because the program was so oversubscribed that we had to turn back equally as many projects as we were able to actually fund.

What do Labor do? We have a highly successful, fairly allocated model of funding, and what do Labor do? They abolish it. You always have to be careful, with the modern Labor Party, to watch what they do, not listen to what they say. Minister King put out a press release earlier this year, and Minister King's press release said in relation to the Stronger Communities Program:

Every single community in Australia is unique, and the Albanese Government recognises that local governments, community organisations and that people who live in their region best understand their local priorities.

She loved the program so much she failed to deliver any ongoing funding for it. She loved it so much she abolished it, cut it—finished. It's gone. Those opposite will say that it will be the subject of future budget rounds. The member for Fowler asked the Treasurer a question on 2 August about the Stronger Communities Program, and this is what the Treasurer had to say:

The matter of future rounds of Stronger Communities will be the subject, no doubt, of future budget deliberations, but there was no allocation for Stronger Communities beyond round 8.

That is Treasury code for, 'It's gone—it's abolished.' Labor isn't funding those small community groups to obtain this funding going forward.

I say to those opposite, with all sincerity: stop taking credit for the previous government's infrastructure and communities program. It's much more fun as a government if you do something yourselves. It's much more fun to make good decisions and fund programs and then take all the credit you want for them. I also say to those opposite: this was a fair program with an allocated model of funding. Your electorates benefited just as much as ours did, and our communities deserve a fair go, and this government is not giving it to them. (Time expired)

Andrew Wilkie (Clark, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Henry Pike (Bowman, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

Sam Lim (Tangney, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When I was elected as the federal Labor member for Tangney, it was a very humbling moment for me. Being a federal member means that I have the largest platform to impact meaningful changes and communicate the views of my electorate's constituents, who feel they have not been heard by their previous member. Outside of helping constituents and their respective groups with their queries and problems and listening to their feedback on the government, there was always one very common denominator question: they would ask me about funding. Where can they find the money to help fund a particular cause? Being in government let me understand that there is funding available for communities—funds that can be spent to improve facilities, help with availability of resources and, most importantly, help build a community.

But, as we all know, when we came into government, we encountered debt—$1 trillion of debt. Clearly, there's not as much money as we'd like to have. The Stronger Communities grants program is a significant program, one which has undoubtedly provided many benefits and played a significant role in supporting small-scale projects within our communities. However, times change and priorities shift. It is our responsibility as a society and as a government to adapt and make the most effective use of our resources, of which money plays a big part. By redirecting funds to other programs, we can better address the evolving needs of our nation, ensuring that the Australian people receive the maximum benefit for their tax dollars.

First and foremost, let's acknowledge that there's still money for our communities. There's money in the form of grants, and reprioritisation of these funds is not an attack on the principles that guided the Stronger Communities grants program. Instead, it is recognition that there are other pressing needs that require our attention. It is important to note that we also have the immensely popular Volunteer Grants program, which is one of the grants programs that still have members of parliament involved in the nomination process.

I want to share a story with you regarding grant funding. When I was newly elected, I came to understand that there were so many people in my electorate of Tangney who did not know that there was government grant money they could apply for. When I first became aware of the volunteer grants, the previous member had had only one organisation apply for 2021 and 2022 and be successful for just under $2,500. What happened to the remaining $60,000-plus? It was not allocated at all. So I made sure that the communities in my electorate of Tangney were aware of this grant and how to apply accordingly. I can happily say that 28 applications were successful for funding last year, and this year we have put forward 35 applications for consideration. I eagerly await the outcome of this later this month.

Everyone here knows that our constituents are crying out about the cost of living. It is essential to note that our country is currently facing economic challenges, which our government is addressing. Redirecting funds from the Stronger Communities grants program to other programs will enable our government to optimise our budget allocation and make targeted investments in areas that will foster economic growth and job creation. Our government's decision to redirect funds from the Stronger Communities grants program to other programs should be viewed as an adaptation to the challenging needs of our nation. It is a responsible approach to resource allocation, which is part of our government's commitment to addressing the concern regarding everyday Australians and ensuring that our local communities can continue to thrive.

Henry Pike (Bowman, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Gippsland for raising this important issue and providing an opportunity for us to debate it. It is an issue that I've been explaining to a lot of the constituents within my electorate, particularly about the impact that this cut will have on their operations and my ability to support them as their local member. Of course, these are the sorts of projects that don't fit neatly within other funding opportunities from the federal government. These are the things that will slip through the cracks without this dedicated funding. It has enabled many local projects and initiatives in my electorate that simply would not otherwise have been possible. Community organisations have been able to enhance their services and infrastructure to the benefit of our community and the lives of local Redland residents.

The Stronger Communities Program provided a guarantee of funding that was specifically earmarked for each community, whether that be the community that I represent or the community that you represent, Deputy Speaker. Each community that those of us here represent has an earmarked allocation. It is incredibly fair. The government's decision to end this program removes this guarantee, and it will have a real impact on the capacity of local community and sporting organisations across Australia.

I'll give you some examples of some of the projects that were funded through this program within my electorate. We were able to secure $17,000 for the Volunteer Marine Rescue Victoria Point. They were able to use that funding to replace ageing touch screens for their GPS navigation devices on their primary vessel. These are all volunteers who are working hard to assist locals when they become caught in issues within Moreton Bay. They've been able to use that funding that they wouldn't have otherwise received.

I was out at the Cage Youth Foundation at Redland Bay the other day, and they used a $10,000 grant through this program to purchase new social enterprise equipment. They run a social enterprise. They undertake a whole heap of mowing, graffiti removal and other services across the electorate, and they use that to support disengaged youth. They were able to purchase a brand new mower off the back of that.

Out at North Stradbroke Island, the rugby league club was able to purchase shade sails for the main oval there. Point Lookout Surf Life Saving Club received $20,000 for the replacement of a four-wheel drive patrol vehicle. On Wednesday evening last week, I was out at Redlands College and saw the Special Olympics Redlands branch basketballers, who had been kitted out with new singlets, new basketballs and new training equipment through a $3,900 grant. These are the sorts of smaller grants that simply aren't available through any other mechanism. Yes, we have volunteer grants, as the previous speaker spoke about, but that's a fraction of what was invested through Stronger Communities. I'm deeply concerned that projects like this will not be funded within my electorate and across Australia due to these cuts.

I recently signed a joint letter to the minister, alongside 24 local community organisations, to express our community's concern regarding the scrapping of the Stronger Communities Program and the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program and changes to the eligibility conditions of the Growing Regions Program which will exclude projects within the Redlands. All of these funding streams have been critical in securing much-needed investment in the Redlands. I strongly encourage the Labor government to reconsider its approach to these programs and to ensure our community can continue to benefit from an equitable share of investment. I think it's important. That's all we're asking for. This wasn't a huge amount of money in the scheme of the federal government's expenditure, but these smaller funds were a way that we could directly assist these community and sporting groups.

I'll touch on the Growing Regions Program, which we also mentioned was of deep concern to us. Under the previous government, through the Building Better Regions Fund, we were able to secure North Stradbroke Island and the Southern Moreton Bay Islands in my electorate as eligible areas for that program. Under the Growing Regions program, those islands have now been excluded. It's an absurd situation where Surfers Paradise can now claim regional funding while projects on the Moreton Bay islands, which are considered to be in the fourth percentile of the SEIFA index on social disadvantage, are unable to access this investment. That's just another reason why we are more reliant on the Stronger Communities Program for me to be able to direct or help to influence the direction of that fund to better support the disadvantaged areas of my electorate.

We strongly encourage the government to reconsider the decisions being made to cut funding to the Stronger Communities Program and the other programs I've mentioned to enable projects on our Bay islands and on the Redlands mainland to continue to receive our fair share of investment.

Fiona Phillips (Gilmore, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

One of the amazing things about being a local MP is getting to talk with and support so many wonderful local community groups and organisations through a variety of grants. The amount of work and effort local people pour into our communities is truly inspiring. I am always thrilled to get out and about to see what local people are doing. These organisations give so much. Today I want to talk about one of the ways that I help give back: the Stronger Communities Program.

For this latest round in my region, 17 local organisations have received a share of $134,500 in grants. It's a real thrill to be able to provide funding to organisations that do such amazing work to support our communities. For instance, this round, $17,000 was provided to Marine Rescue NSW in Batemans Bay to upgrade their facilities, which will include an upgraded training room. Marine Rescue is such an important organisation and I love nothing more than helping them improve their operational capabilities to make sure they can continue to help keep boaters on our waterways safe.

The Kiama Table Tennis Club with their $3,000 grant will purchase new equipment to support their growing membership. I've been to the club and seen them in action—a room full of people enjoying this great sport and making valuable social connections. This investment in the Kiama Table Tennis Club will help build a sense of community and provide opportunities for residents of all ages, and I'm proud to have been able to support them.

Jervis Bay Meals on Wheels have used their $5,000 grant to purchase a new industrial potato peeler and create a new vegetable preparation area. Recently, I met with Meals on Wheels volunteers as they prepared meals and then went out on a few delivery runs. This isn't only a food delivery service; it is a much-valued community service. The volunteers know the people they're delivering to and provide an incredible level of care to them. I'm so happy I could support such a group that does so much for so many.

The Jamberoo Country Women's Association are using their $3,000 to purchase updated audiovisual equipment. The CWA is such an important meeting place for the community, and it's satisfying to be able to help them improve their meetings.

The community owned Gerringong Golf Club received $17,500 to improve fuel storage on site. This club is member owned, and this money will help keep the member prices down so the community can continue to enjoy this wonderful club. Providing $16,500 in funding to the Sussex Inlet District Chamber of Commerce to build a new walking path from Swanhaven to Sussex Inlet Public School is just the best idea.

Another group who received funding is the Flagstaff Group. They are a not-for-profit social enterprise providing life skills and work for people with disabilities. Flagstaff have received $8,000 in funding to improve the EMBER app they've developed to help people living with a disability prepare for bushfires and other natural disasters.

The Boomerang Meeting Place in Mogo received $16,000 in funding to put in a new solar system on their men's shed, supporting the community and keeping their power prices down, and the list goes on. The Tomakin Community Association is using $18,000 to upgrade local basketball facilities. The Tuross Community Gardens has used $3,000 to install another water tank to store and catch rainwater. The Moruya RSL subbranch received $3,500 to improve their memorial gardens. The Shoalhaven Heads Native Botanic Garden received $5,000 to update their signs, and the Culburra Dolphins junior rugby league club received $2,500 to replace canteen equipment. The Callala Bay Progress Hall management committee received $2,500 to buy a new ride-on mower, and the Burrill Lake Community Association received $4,000 for equipment to maintain the Barker Reserve. I'm immensely proud to be able to deliver and support these 15 projects, which spanned from Kiama to Tuross Head.

Unfortunately, not every project can get funding through this program, but I just want to say thank you to all the community organisations in our region. If you're involved in a community organisation, I would love to come and meet with you and your members to see the wonderful work you're doing and how I can help to match you with available grants. To all the community organisations in our region: thanks for all the wonderful work you do. Your efforts make our communities thrive, and it fills me with pride to be part of our incredible region. Your dedication and hard work is truly inspiring. You most certainly are making our communities stronger.

Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to raise my objection to the Albanese government's terrible decision to abandon the very successful Stronger Communities Program. This program was designed to deliver social benefits across Australia through funding of grassroots projects right across Australia. The program provided equal funding across each electorate, irrespective of the political affiliation of the local member. Each electorate had an available pool of $150,000 for local not-for-profit groups to apply for grants of between $2,500 and $20,000.

Since being established by the coalition in 2015, the program has helped fund over 15,000 local community based projects. This includes plenty of worthy projects in my electorate of Durack that were assisted by the program, from the Mid West through to the Kimberley. Projects in Durack included funding for groups like the Broome Basketball Association; the Derby Speedway Club, an excellent club; and an organisation called Feed the Little Children, which is based in Broome. Such groups, particularly in regional Australia, recognise these grants as an invaluable contribution to their work in supporting their local communities.

Since coming to government, we've seen that Minister King has failed to grasp the importance of this program. Round 8 of the program was left in limbo for nine long months but finally opened for applications in February of this year, with a closing date of 16 May. It is an indictment of the government that the minister could not deliver this program on time. Honestly, what are they doing, and what sort of show is she running? Applications closed almost a year after the election. Remember, this is a program the regional development department was very experienced in delivering. Multiple programs have been delivered since 2015, so they can't say it was some new, innovative program they had no experience in running. They have rolled out previous rounds before. What was going on?

We've seen Labor members, in this debate, talk about how wonderful the program is, and it's great to hear how they have appreciated the program. During the last sitting, the member for McEwen stood up and spoke of the 'powerful impact' that the Stronger Communities Program was having on community groups in his electorate. I'm so pleased to hear him say that. In his speech, he acknowledged how the program enabled local organisations to make a meaningful difference within the community. I'm glad that some members opposite—and I'm sure we'll hear from a few more members in this debate—appreciate the success of the program, but it is a real shame that they've not been able to have adequately argued for its continuation within the Labor Party party room. In the May budget, no money has been allocated for a 2023-24 round, and no money has been allocated for a 2024-25 round. This is a disgrace, and it's a real letdown for so many community groups right across Australia because it seems that the Labor leadership has little interest in supporting community organisations.

Unfortunately, there is now no small-scale grant program that offers Commonwealth assistance to grassroots organisations. This is shameful. I appreciate that we are living through a cost-of-living crisis and acknowledge the need for spending restraint during the inflationary environment that we are in, but it is important to note that the minimal cost of this very successful program—just $22.7 million—was allocated for round 8 of the program. I, for one, believe that the $365 million that was allocated by this government to hold the referendum on Saturday could have been used much more effectively. The same amount of money could have funded another 16 rounds of the same scale—supporting many worthy thousands of local clubs and groups. Without the ability to access Commonwealth grants, many community organisations—including sporting groups—will have no option but to increase fees to parents and children to participate in sports. Given we're living through a crisis with respect to the cost of living, that's the last thing parents need at the moment.

It is important to understand that this is not the only initiative being scrapped by this government. In fact, this is just one of the many successful programs abandoned by the Labor government. In their first budget, Labor cut more than $10 billion in regional and community programs. They abolished the Community Development Grants Program, the Energy Security and Regional Development Plan, the Regional Accelerator Program, the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program, and the Building Better Regions Fund. This so-called 90-day roads infrastructure review is nowhere to be seen. (Time expired)

Gordon Reid (Robertson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It has been a privilege and an honour being the federal member for Robertson since my election in May of 2022. Over my time in office, I have had the opportunity to meet with a range of outstanding organisations based in my electorate. These charities and not-for-profit organisations are the backbone of my community and of many communities across the country. They work diligently to support people who might be doing it tough or to be places for people to come together. The Albanese Labor government funded round 8 of the Stronger Communities Program in the October 2022 federal budget. This was despite the former Liberal government failing to fund round 8 and failing to fund many of the other projects that they were raving on about during the last election. Round 8 of the Stronger Communities Program provided local organisations with grant funding of between $2,500 and $20,000 for infrastructure projects.

Through the Robertson community grants committee, several organisations were selected and are now benefiting—for example, several men's sheds in my region. Men's Sheds are phenomenal organisations for men of all ages. The men's shed movement is one of the most powerful organisations for helping men address their healthcare issues and improve wellbeing. They allow men to be a part of something bigger and put their time to good use by supporting their local community through a range of diverse work. One such men's shed that we have been able to support is the Broadlands Residents Men's Shed in Green Point. Just the other week, they celebrated their second birthday, which I was fortunate to attend and see some of the marvellous projects they have been working on. I congratulate the Broadlands Residents Men's Shed on their second birthday milestone. This group of men meet regularly to work on projects such as toys for disadvantaged kids and supporting local primary schools. Importantly, it is a place for its members to belong to, which promotes a great sense of camaraderie. Through our support, the Broadlands Residents Men's Shed in Green Point received over $7,000 to put towards the cost of a new concrete slab. This new concrete slab enabled the men's shed to increase their working space as their membership continues to grow.

As their membership has grown, so has the need to have more working space for its members to work safely in, and I was pleased to see during my visit that the concrete slab has been poured and the project has now been completed. Already the additional working space is allowing more members to participate in these projects. As a health professional I understand how important social connections are to our overall health and wellbeing. Men's sheds provide so much support to men of all ages, and I'm a huge supporter of their work. To all the men involved with the Broadlands Residents Men's Shed, thank you for your dedication to improving our community and supporting your mates. You are all outstanding members of our community, and we appreciate the contributions you make to strengthening our region. It has been a great pleasure meeting with you all and getting to know you.

Can I just say a special thanks to all of the members of this men's shed in Green Point for the fantastic work they do: Alan Sparkes, Barry Evans, Barry Tanswell, Chris Neilssen, Chris Mackett, Colin Scott, David Halliwell, Gary King, Geoffrey Turner, Graham Hurrell, Graham Pollock, John Moore, John Moriarty, John Sherrington, Kevin Ivins, Noel Price, Patrick Fry, Peter Jacobs, Peter Thompson, Philip Barclay, Robert McHue, Thomas Yates and Trevor Dowse. Thank you for all the outstanding work you do on the Central Coast and particularly within the electorate of Robertson, supporting organisations, schools and community groups right across the region. You do an amazing job. I thank each and every one of you. I also thank all of your amazing supporters, partners and wives for being part of that community. At that second birthday milestone you were all there around the barbecue, having a cup of coffee. Seeing the amazing work you do is truly inspirational, and I'm not just limiting it to the men's shed at Green Point; we have men's sheds right across the Central Coast. I know everyone here in this chamber right now has some outstanding men's sheds, and we thank them for the amazing work they do right across this great country.

Aaron Violi (Casey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I commend the member for Gippsland for this important motion. I know the member for Moreton this morning in the House had to double-check he was speaking on the right motion, and listening to those opposite I had to do the same. I thought I'd better get it out and just make sure. We don't want to make that mistake. Listening to those opposite talk about how amazing this program is and how much it's doing for their communities, they're very happy to stand up and talk about the programs delivering for their communities, which is great, because they are, as the member for Robertson said, delivering a lot for their communities. But what they're not talking about is point (2)(a) of this motion, which says the government has failed to provide funding for future rounds of the program, with no replacement for small-scale projects. They're not prepared to go and talk to the Prime Minister, talk to the Treasurer and advocate for this program privately or publicly, as we've seen today, but they're happy to stand there and take all the credit from the former government's funding and initiation of this program.

I'm sure the member for Moreton next will no doubt stand up and talk about the great things being delivered for his community. I implore him to stand up and publicly call on the Prime Minister and the Treasurer to continue to fund this program because it delivers for communities, and we all know it delivers for communities. I had the great privilege on Saturday of visiting the Yarra Glen fire brigade. Yarra Glen is my home town. It's where I grew up and spend my life. Through this program they were able to fund three thermal-imaging cameras. Talking to Captain Bill Boyd and meeting the team on the weekend, they were talking about how those cameras are going to make their jobs safer. With those cameras they can look and find hotspots the eye cannot see. Our community lived through Black Saturday. I lived through Black Saturday. Everyone knows the dangers CFAs put themselves through. This program has made it safer for those volunteers in Yarra Glen to protect our community, but this government is going to cut this program.

It is also about saving lives. The Lilydale community are benefiting from the Lilydale Community House having a defib on the outside of the building. They could not afford that defib without this program. I was there for the opening. It's right next to the bowls club. The bowls club have a defib as well, but that's inside and locked away. This one is available to the public at any time. There is no way they can raise those funds without this program. But this government have cut it, and those opposite will stand up and talk about how great it is, but they won't talk to their Prime Minister. They won't call out their Treasurer for not delivering for my community and for their communities. That is hypocrisy writ large.

Yes, it's important in saving lives, but it's important in bringing communities together as well. I was fortunate, two weeks ago, to visit the Kallista market, which reopened after having to close down through COVID. I was at their first meeting earlier this year, when the group decided to restart the market, and talked to them about options. I said, 'We've got this great program for volunteers like you that you should apply for.' This money allowed them to get marquees, to get generators and to re-engage with their community. The atmosphere and the vibe at Kallista two weeks ago on that Saturday was amazing. There was music. There were stalls. Businesses were making money. The school had their fete. They were fundraising. The shops were as busy as they've ever been. The Dandenong Ranges have been through some tough times. It's a tourism town. Through COVID and through the storms, they've been doing it tough, but the energy, the passion and the community connection was there. We got to open that and I got to speak to the committee. Without this program and without this funding, they wouldn't have been able to continue to move forward like they did. Many other organisations helped them as well.

I've got tens and tens of examples, just on this round, but there are hundreds and thousands of community groups across the nation that have benefited from this program in my community in Victoria and in many other seats. It is absolutely disgraceful that this government will cut this funding with no alternative. We all know that community groups are struggling with volunteers and struggling to fundraise. When you look at their faces and you see the joy that these couple of thousands of dollars bring, changing their organisations—this funding needs to be reinstated. (Time expired)

Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm very glad to speak on this motion put forward by the member for Gippsland. I know he's had a bit of a tough time in his area lately. I know that in my electorate of Moreton, community groups look forward to the annual announcement of the expressions of interest for Stronger Communities grants. The capped amount of $150,000 to fund up to 20 local projects just isn't enough. It's always oversubscribed; we've got lots of wonderful community groups. Funding for those small infrastructure builds for community groups is much loved and much appreciated.

The funds in Moreton in the past have gone towards: installing kitchens in local clubs to help groups with their fundraising efforts; buying mobile coffee machines to skill-up volunteers in barista skills, leading to more employment opportunities in hospitality; helping sporting clubs refurbish change rooms; and allowing local kindies to build beautiful outdoor playgrounds. Each member of parliament knows that the program is an annual fixture for our local groups—it's grassroots activism rewarded throughout the nation. I think the member for Gippsland is a good bloke, and I'm happy to put that on the record—others might speak against that, depending on where the National Party's merry-go-round is placed at the moment! When he had fire and floods within 24 hours, his electorate has had it tough. But I fail to see why the member for Gippsland has brought this motion, because he has clearly forgotten what his party did when he was in government. He's here today claiming that the future years of the Stronger Communities Programme haven't been funded, when his own government failed to fund the round they announced in March 2022. This is a program that has traditionally been funded—

Honourable Member:

An honourable member interjecting—

Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, not in March 2022 you hadn't. Not yet. In March 2022, you were still in government. As I said, I don't know where the National Party merry-go-round was parked at that particular time in terms of whether the good Deputy Prime Minister was in, or the other one. As the member for Gippsland knows, this program has traditionally been funded year-on-year. It's ridiculous for the coalition to claim they didn't do the same when they were in government. This is pure mischief-making. To quote the earlier speaker, it is hypocrisy writ large. Our last round of the program, round 8, was funded by the Albanese government and commenced in February 2023. While the Liberals and Nationals announced round 8 of Stronger Communities in the March budget, they failed to pass their budget before calling the election, meaning that the program was another unfunded promise. Once again, the Liberals and Nationals made an announcement, a press release, but failed to deliver, leaving it up to the Albanese Labor government to fix another part of their mess.

That's why we had to deliver the funding for round 8 of the program in the October budget of 2022 and roll out the program across 2023. Those opposite didn't deliver any funds for round 8 and certainly didn't make provision for funding beyond that. I should also point out that in round 8 the government added the requirement for local MPs to outline the project nomination process to enhance the transparency of the program, because we all remember the integrity issues around the coalition when it comes to grant programs. I'm sure the member for Lalor will remember the old colour-coded pork barrelling. Remember that? As a government, we deliver grant programs that are fair and transparent. I don't think we're going to see swimming pools next to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Remember that? A swimming pool next to the Sydney Harbour Bridge—for a regional grants program! We actually know where the regions are.

Under the Building Better Regions Fund program, the Australian National Audit Office found that the Morrison government not only actively ignored Commonwealth grant programs but tried to get around them, and they did so at the expense of regional seats. If only the regional seats had a party that would speak up for them! If only they had a party like that! It was not only Labor seats but also regional seats held by Liberal and Independent members and National Party members. It's clear that projects on the merit list were ignored, and 65 per cent of the projects in the infrastructure stream, which made up almost all of the billion-dollar program, were not the ones assessed by the department as having the most merit. The Nationals seats benefited the most, as proper process was actively ignored. Those seats got $104 million more pork, or 29 per cent, than if the proper process had been followed.

On that basis alone, the Liberal and National parties, especially the Nationals, should never again be allowed to talk about grants programs in this parliament, after the way they behaved while they were in government. Remember that, the shameful colour-coded trail of pork left across the nation in National Party seats? We don't know where the National Party merry-go-round is going to end up, but I hope the member for Gippsland thinks long and hard about his motions.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We've just had five minutes from the member for Moreton, who once famously said, 'If a country road hasn't had a lick of bitumen on it for 70 years, why would you bitumen it now?' That's what he thought about a country dirt road that was getting an upgrade under the Nationals in government. The other thing I'll take him up on is colour-coded spreadsheets. The only trouble with the colour-coded spreadsheets under this mob is that they're all red; they're all the same colour, and they're all Labor. I commend the member for Gippsland for bringing forward this motion on the Stronger Communities program. When it comes to accountability, what could be more accountable than $150,000 per electorate, with community members having a say in where their federal funds go? Well, that's what I did. I called together a wonderful team—believe it or not, I had some Labor members on that team—to help me decide where the funding was going to go in some of the grants programs that we were rolling out across the Riverina and central west.

I doubt whether those opposite could run a chook raffle. The member for Gippsland and the member for Mallee have probably been in a pub on a Friday night and seen chook raffles happening. You have to have a lot of chook raffles, which many of our volunteer organisations put on, to raise the sorts of funds they need for the sort of spending they're going to do: just to buy a photocopier, just to put a coat of paint on a set of goalposts, just to put a disabled parking sign in a car park—all of those things. Indeed, that's how, in the past, they had to do it—until the coalition came along and thought up this program, which is very responsible, very accountable and very appropriate. What is has done is provide those community organisations with funds so they didn't have to go out every Friday night and run chook raffles in the pub to raise funds for their valuable organisations. Let me tell you, the Stronger Communities Program has both changed lives and saved lives. We heard earlier about providing defibrillator machines to sporting clubs and for other volunteer organisations. I know that even in my own electorate the Ganmain Grong Grong Matong Lions Football and Netball Club—and it's important that I get that name right, because I think it was the Sydney Morning Herald that once called it the 'Ganmain Grong Grong mating lions'; it is Matong not 'mating', important distinction there!—had a barbecue area provided under this program that cost $7,500. It's pretty tough for those three wonderful little towns in the Riverina and Farrer electorates—Grong Grong is actually in Farrer, just across the electorate border—to come up with the sorts of funds that are going to provide for that necessary amenity which provides not only a barbecue for the footballers and netballers but also, during bushfires and during those other moments of community distress, a central point in the town to talk about their mental health, to talk about their struggles, and to talk about being and living in a rural community.

I'll go through some: Trundle has its War Memorial School of Arts' hall upgrade; Illabo Sporting Bodies Incorporated upgraded their clubhouse; West Wyalong has renewed the commemorative walkway honouring our wonderful veterans—those who have served and those who have sacrificed in wars past and conflicts present; in Coolamon Shire, Beckom has a mobile skate park and pump track; at Parkes, the Currajong Disability Services has had building modifications for disability access, making sure that everybody is included when they hold community events; Woodstock, which is just a little community has had improvements to Lions Park; and at Cootamundra Men's Shed—and we all love our men's sheds—there was the building of disabled parking. That was a $10,000 grant. You can imagine the men's shed trying to raise funds out of fixing chairs and fixing stools to get enough funding to put disabled parking access into the important men's shed at Cootamundra. I commend this motion. I thank the member for Gippsland for bringing it to the House, because it is important. Why the program has been stopped is anyone's guess. No doubt, somebody in the Labor dirt unit knows. They probably thought it was getting votes for the National Party—how wrong they were! It's stopping good people in regional areas from getting the funding they deserve.

Alicia Payne (Canberra, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The time allotted for this debate has expired. The debate is adjourned, and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.