Sam Rae (Hawke, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A few weeks ago it was my pleasure to welcome the Prime Minister to Hawke, where we joined members of our Sikh community to celebrate the opening of the newly renovated Plumpton temple. For many years, Khalsa Shaouni have shared their generous spirit with our community, going above and beyond to make our community a better place to live in. From their educational workshops to their cultural and charitable events, their work is a reminder to all of us of the importance of service to others, be it during the pandemic, when they prepared over 165,000 meals for those doing it tough, or during natural disasters, when they provided bottled water, hygiene essentials and blankets to those who have lost everything. The work they undertake is remarkable and a true example of Aussie mateship. I want to give a special thank you to Gurdarshan, Avtar and everyone else at Khalsa Shaouni for their hard work. The support they provide has become such an incredible pillar of strength within our community. I'd like to thank them also for welcoming the Prime Minister and me so warmly.

Volunteers are the backbone of our communities, and this is especially true in Hawke. Local volunteers give up their time, effort, and skills to deliver critical programs that bring members of our community together. When you invest in volunteering, you change lives for the better. I'm happy to say that that's exactly what this Labor government is doing. I'm proud to share today that 35 local volunteer organisations have recently received a combined total of more than $60,000 from the Albanese Labor government in grant funding. This includes a $1,000 grant for the wonderful team at Pentland Calisthenics College, who I recently visited in Bacchus Marsh—keeping our youngest generations active and healthy while fostering a culture of self-confidence and teamwork. With this extra support they can expand their investment in their volunteers, delivering more CPR, first aid, mental health and skills training.

Our community organisations do fantastic work across Hawke and indeed across Australia. I'm very proud to be part of an Albanese Labor government that recognises and rewards the efforts of our volunteers. We will continue to support them at every turn.

Last Friday I had the great opportunity to visit local businesses in Ballan with President of the Ballan Chamber of Commerce Laura Sims. I'd like to thank Laura for showing me around, and I thank all the great people at Crossroads Trading, T and K Support Services, Ballan Fresh Fruit and Veg, Springfields Garage and Ballan Local Butchers for taking the time to chat with me. It was great to hear firsthand about the current challenges facing local businesses in Hawke and how we as a government can continue to provide meaningful support. Whether you run a small business or community organisation or you're just proud to call Hawke home, our Labor government has got your back.