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

The Stronger Communities Program has delivered 15,000 community based projects across Australia, and it's actually the fairest program you could imagine. Every electorate received $150,000 per round for eight rounds, with the local MPs required to establish a local committee to set local priorities. It was a great initiative by the coalition. It actually trusted locals, who then leveraged those small grants with volunteer support to deliver projects and services. If you give a small community a grant of $10,000 for a community group, they'll turn it into 20 grand worth of work.

This was a great program, but it wasn't just the coalition MPs who thought it was a great program. It wasn't just the coalition MPs who loved it. Here's what the Treasurer had to say when he was taking credit for the program at a local op shop in the seat of Rankin:

Pleased I was able to help out this terrific cause with a $10,000 Stronger Communities Grant.

Well, the Treasurer loved the program so much that he's abolished it! He's abolished it! He was happy to pose for the photo opportunity, and then he cut the funding for the whole program! He loved it so much that he got rid of it! He's not just dudding the people on this side; he's dudding everyone on that side as well.

A little tip to my ambitious mate from the other side of the House: if you're going to move from Logan City to the Lodge, you probably should get that program back in place for the rest of the backbenchers to enjoy as well. If you want them to vote for you when the time comes, Member for Rankin, it would be a good idea to fund this program. (Time expired)