Jason Wood (La Trobe, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Community Safety, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes:

(a) that the Government cut $50 million in the October 2022-2023 budget from Round 7 of the Safer Communities Fund for early intervention high-risk youth programs, which was funded but not announced in the March 2022-23 budget; and

(b) the recent surge in youth crime in Victoria and Queensland, in particular requires an urgent and dedicated response from the Commonwealth Government to address and combat this serious issue, while the Victorian Government must reconsider its stance on weak youth bail laws and prioritise the safety of its citizens;

(2) condemns the Government for abandoning young Australians by scrapping this funding;

(3) calls on the Government to reinstate funding to provide for much-needed capital to organisations working with high-risk youth;

(4) congratulates the previous Government for investing $300 million in the Safer Communities Fund to keep local communities safer; and

(5) commends the Opposition for committing to working with states and territories in the future to develop uniform knife laws as a significant step towards ensuring the safety and security of all Australians.

When it comes to our youth, they are the future leaders, and members of parliament and all those across Australia want to see our youth do well. Sadly, some, as I mentioned in my maiden speech many years ago, go down the wrong path, leave school, get bored and get involved in crime. A number of years ago in Victoria, we had a number of youth gangs getting up to hideous crimes—home invasions, carjackings, stabbings, you name it—and we still do today.

We had an inquiry, which I was chair of, and the inquiry was called 'No-one taught me how to be an Australian'. That actually came from a young South Sudanese leader, and that's why we used the name. A person who appeared before that inquiry was Les Twentyman OAM. Les, for those who don't know, is an absolute legend when it comes to supporting youth, and Les told me—and I'm a former police officer—'Jason, if you want to help the youth, the only way is early intervention.'

Under the Morrison government, we put a program in place, and I actually was very proud as the assistant minister of home affairs to put this program in place. It was called the Safer Communities Fund for high-risk youth. I had three criteria. Firstly, it was to keep young people in school who were about to fall out of the education system, and, whether it was staying at school or making pizza ovens, I didn't care what it was, as long as we could get them to stay in education. Secondly, if they left school, it was about having someone, a group or an organisation to wrap their hands around them and provide training and education to get a job or to go back to school. Thirdly, it was that those who have been incarcerated, rather than walk out into the hands of another gang, walk out into the hands of someone who's going to support them.

We had a delegation that went over to America, and we met with gang members who had spent many years in jail whose role, when young people walked out of a police station, was to basically say, 'You're going down the wrong way. We want to help you and change your life.'

We put in place a program which invested $120 million, targeting youth between the ages of 12 and 24—high-risk youth—which supported 133 organisations, of which 30 per cent were from the Indigenous community.

You'd think it would have been an absolute no-brainer for the Albanese Labor government to just roll over this program, but, to my shock and horror, the Labor government has completely cancelled this project—this amazing, grand scheme. So many people who are social workers with the skills we need to help young people no longer have a job. The sad reality is that the parents who finally had some hope for their kids, their children or their young person, or whatever you want to call them, no longer have that hope. But, worst of all, when it comes to young people themselves—and we're talking about thousands upon thousands of young people right across the country—they now have lost that hope and are going down the wrong path. So it is no surprise, when you look at the crime stats in Victoria, that things are, horribly, moving in the wrong way.

I also point out that this program wasn't focussed on Liberal held seats. In actual fact most of the seats—the large majority—were Labor held seats in areas where there are social and economic issues. There have been cuts in funding to Swan, Indi, Rankin, Parramatta and McEwen, and also one in Chisholm, the eastern Melbourne Migrant Information Centre. I went and visited that centre, and it was so sad to meet the young staff who were about to lose their jobs. As they said to me, they'll get another job, but they felt so bad for the young people.

I call on the Albanese Labor government to reinstate this funding. It's such a disgrace that it has been cut. I must say I've also had a number of Labor members approach me and say it's a crying shame this funding has been cut. It must be restored to help young people.

Terry Young (Longman, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is there a seconder for the motion?

Garth Hamilton (Groom, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Let's speak frankly: the former Safer Communities Fund program for early intervention for high-risk youth became discredited due to the misuse—some even say rorting—of public funds by the previous government, those opposite. But don't take my word for it. The Australian National Audit Office found that the first five rounds of grants under this program were only 'partly effective and partly consistent with the Commonwealth grant rules and guidelines' and also stated:

Funding decisions were not appropriately informed by departmental briefings and, for the majority of decisions, the basis for the decisions was not clearly recorded.

I wonder why? They go on:

Applications were not assessed fully in accordance with the guidelines … 54% of funding decisions did not have a clear basis for the decision recorded.

The previous speaker, the member for La Trobe, continues to push a program that he was personally responsible for misusing. The member for La Trobe hand-picked projects that scored lower than projects with higher scores that had been assessed on their merit. The member for La Trobe has even conceded to 'personally intervening in the selection process'.

Our government, the Albanese government, is a government of integrity. We are providing grant programs that meet the needs of local communities, not Liberal candidates. What is disappointing about the former government's treatment of the Safer Communities Fund program is that there were many incredible organisations doing amazing work to contribute to strengthening community safety. We are working with those organisations. We respect grant processes and we are ensuring that grants programs are transparent and merit based.

Community safety is a priority for our government. We have committed more than $182 million from the Attorney-General's portfolio to improve community safety and security across Australia through community-based crime prevention and justice reinvestment initiatives. Justice reinvestment is a key element in addressing the causes of crime in my electorate and in the Northern Territory. More than 30 years after the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, First Nations people remain overrepresented at every point in the criminal justice system. The Australian government is committed to pursuing meaningful change by investing in place based initiatives, led and implemented by First Nations communities and organisations, to help turn the tide of incarceration and deaths in custody.

Across the Northern Territory, we are seeing these initiatives being developed in Maningrida, Groote Eylandt, Katherine and Central Australia. I have met with local organisations in Darwin and Palmerston to drive the process and develop a range of elements to address the causes of crime. Work continues on a youth hub near my electorate office in Darwin. That represents one of the components of our response, working in partnership with the NT government and community organisations. Indeed, it was my No. 1 priority in the previous term to make sure that the funding was there and allocated to address these issues. The Albanese government is committed to supporting local communities to strengthen community safety, to provide alternative pathways for young people who are at risk of being engaged in criminal and antisocial behaviour and to support activities aimed at improving the engagement of at-risk young people in education and work-ready programs, decreasing antisocial behaviour or engagement in criminal activity and increasing positive community and family engagement.

Our government recognises the need for national coordination and collaboration on law enforcement matters. The Police Ministers Council, comprising police ministers from every state and territory, has been re-established. It provides a forum for national coordination and collaboration to achieve improved social policy outcomes and ensure the safety and security of Australians. This is a forum focused on achieving real, tangible outcomes to keep the community safe. Indeed, it was critical in progressing work on the National Firearms Register, which has been a significant improvement in the work of keeping our people safe.

Garth Hamilton (Groom, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When I came into this role, one of the first groups that came to see me in my office was from Toowoomba's Garden City Mosque. This is a facility that has suffered arson twice. It has been burnt down twice, and they came to ask whether there any way that the government could provide any help around keeping this facility secure while it was being built. I had an interest in this. During my time in the Middle East, I'd built a couple of mosques, so I understood what their concerns were. I asked about it.

Of course, there was this great fund, the Safer Communities Fund. It addressed exactly the needs of this community, and it was no surprise. This was a simple request: could we help with CCTV cameras, lighting and secure fencing. This is the sort of stuff that is quite obvious when you're dealing with community safety. I'm very happy to say that we were able to secure the funding for that mosque. It's built today and all those outcomes from the Safer Communities Fund are there. They're being used. They're making the place safer. They're doing exactly the job they were supposed to.

There were others across our community who benefited as well. CatholicCare had a great program helping kids, particularly Indigenous kids to the west of Toowoomba, stay in school. They had this great boxing program. I go to a similar one in Oakey. It's great to see the young men, in particular, come down in the afternoon, burn off a bit of energy and get a good feed. They go home and have a good night's sleep. They're not out and active at night-time after that. They've used their energy. They've had some great social interaction. It's a great program that's funded under the Safer Communities Program. I could also tell you of the work done for our Yazidi community. It's helping them settle after the terrific trauma that they went through before coming to Australia. That work has been funded through this program.

Sadly, we had this great fund and this program, and then government took it away. The previous speaker's comments were that he had concerns about this fund being misused. If that's the case, then replace it. If that's the case, then keep the intention. That hasn't been done. This has simply been thrown away. It was a $50 million program. We've seen $315 billion of additional spending, and a $50 million program couldn't be kept. We saw $500-odd million spent on the Voice, and a $50 million program couldn't be kept. This speaks very much to the priorities of this government.

This was a program designed at a community level to acknowledge the concerns of safety from community groups. Everywhere I go in my electorate I hear about this, including from churches. I was at the Wesleyan Methodist church up in Wilsonton Heights. They'd been broken into, as has the community centre down in Wilsonton. They're having to go to extreme lengths to secure their compounds from the frequent break-ins. I recently went to the school out at Oakey. They've had the same issues. Once again, wherever food is stored, there are constant break-ins. The men's shed up there at Highfields, in particular, have some great equipment and it's always at risk of being broken into. There are always little jemmy marks around the side of the door from people trying to get in. These are the people who know that this program is needed. These are the people whom this program was designed to help, and it was helping. In the past I've been able to reach out to those groups and say, 'Here's a way we can help. Here's a way the federal government can help you.' Sadly, my community needs help.

We saw the desecration of the Drayton and Toowoomba Cemetery last week. A hundred gravestones were just knocked over and destroyed by three young criminals. They've been let off. I could talk about Queensland's youth crime crisis separately, and I have on multiple occasions. Once again, the community's come to me and asked: 'Is there a way that we can help? Is there a way that we could provide better lighting, better security gates or some CCTV cameras? Is there something that we can do?' My answer, sadly, is that there was a way we could help under the previous coalition government, but that's been taken away because this program does not align with the priorities of this government. Safer communities do not align with the priorities of this government. Additional savings of $315 billion couldn't be made, and a $50 million grant couldn't be saved.

If their concerns about the way it was being run were genuine, they would have introduced an alternative that we could have used, but they didn't. To cry, like the last speaker did, and to make out that there was something about the way it was being run that was the issue is not true. It simply wasn't their priority. I call on the government to bring it back; you've got time. Bring it back. This was a great program. It helped vulnerable community members across the board in my community, as it did in countless others around Australia. It was a good program. We need it, and we want it. The government should show its priority to the Australian people.

Tania Lawrence (Hasluck, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for La Trobe's motion usefully reminds us that we do need to recognise and celebrate the work done at the coalface by organisations in our electorates that work with young people. A little over a week ago, in Midland, I hosted the inaugural Hasluck Volunteer Awards. It was a celebration of volunteers, young and old. Many of the nominees work with young vulnerable people every day, and they are truly an inspiration. In my conversations with community leaders, I find there is strong consensus that if we didn't have these excellent services being provided to our young people then many of them would find themselves on a path towards trouble, rather than on the path that they are on, which is a supported one where they are flourishing.

This motion refers to the Safer Communities Fund, which was commenced under the former coalition government in 2016. The member for La Trobe has been here since 2013 and served prior also; he is fully aware of that program. Perhaps he had some input into the design. He certainly had some direct hands-on involvement in his capacity as the then assistant minister.

There are reports that the member for La Trobe was involved in the maladministration of the Safer Communities grants program. Of course, he wasn't the responsible minister—the buck stops with the member for Dickson, who somehow now finds himself the Leader of the Opposition—but the member for La Trobe was certainly caught up in it all. It was some of the worst press we've seen for a government. Here's the Sydney Morning Herald from 6 May 2021:

… key minister rejected department advice …

Assistant Minister Jason Wood handpicked the projects … and … cut funding to recipients that scored more highly in the Home Affairs department's analysis …

…   …   …

… Peter Dutton … diverted money from a previous funding round to help 53 handpicked projects …

Mr Wood … conceded the grants were not recommended by officials …

The article noted that about 80 projects had money shaved off them so that the member for La Trobe could send $3 million to projects not recommended by the department, at least two of which were, in fact, ineligible. In other words, the member ignored his own guidelines for eligibility.

We have the National Anti-Corruption Commission in operation. We have the new Administrative Review Tribunal without political appointments. We are cleaning up after the coalition forgot the importance of probity for a whole decade.

We create safer communities partly with funding grants to meritorious organisations, but we do that using a process that is fair, above board and not a disgraceful rort. The reason we need to do these things properly is that one of the ways we create safer communities is by leading. We provide a good example. I don't believe in trickle-down economics but I do believe in trickle-down leadership. If our politicians are rorting the system and undermining fairness and due process, it affects every other part of society and, yes, it does trickle down to the youth.

The Albanese Labor government has reformed the grants process so that when community groups apply for a grant they can apply knowing that they have the same chance as any other group and are having the same criteria applied. They will know that they will not have to guess that hidden criteria, like whether the member for Dickson or the member for La Trobe think that the application has some political use for their party.

I now come to the organisations that we celebrate today and recognise with grants, at times, because of their commitment to youth and their proven results. CLAN Midland champions early intervention to improve life opportunities for young people and provides programs and services designed to support and promote happy and healthy families, which creates stronger families and communities. Alnoor Community Language provides a safe and welcoming environment for young people to connect with their community and learn English and many other skills, particularly Arabic. They promote community engagement and encourage young people to reach their full potential. The Ellenbrook Vipers rugby club was well represented at the Hasluck Volunteers Awards night, too, with three club members nominated for awards. This is because their club members are dedicated to going above and beyond for their community. The coaches and club executives have created a supportive and caring community environment for the young people of Ellenbrook.

Koya Aboriginal Corporation has worked with young people in Midland and its surrounds since 2006, and focuses on engaging, developing, nurturing and supporting Aboriginal and vulnerable children and young people in order that they grow to thrive and succeed. The Swan City Youth Service provides activities, advice and a safe space of support for young people. The Darlington and Kalamunda scouts are creating marvellous memories for generations. Each and every one of these organisations in Hasluck— (Time expired)

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

It's been interesting to listen to those opposite talk about the previous government. I hope those who have spoken today will ask their ministers some questions tomorrow, in caucus. They could ask the Minister for Health and Aged Care why nine of the 10 urgent care clinics that have been announced since the budget are in ALP seats; they could ask the minister for health that if they are very genuine in the words they've just spoken. They could also ask the Minister for Communications why the phone tower program that was announced—

Terry Young (Longman, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Member for Hasluck!

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

When you hit a nerve, interjections are what you get! They could ask about phone towers and why the phone tower program this government announced is now before the Auditor-General, and why, in Victoria, 100 per cent of funding for phone towers went to ALP seats despite my community of Casey being the second-most disaster-prone community in the country. But they walk out and don't want to talk about that.

They could also ask the Treasurer why they cut $50 million from the Safer Communities Fund at the same time the Treasurer committed $40 million to sell the stage 3 tax cuts. We don't have money to keep the community safe but we can find $40 million to sell the stage 3 tax cuts, which have already been implemented. That is the hypocrisy of those opposite. They're happy to preach to us but not to live up to their own standards; we see that time and time again with the Albanese Labor government.

My community knows the Safer Communities Fund was crucial. Tony Smith, my predecessor, did great work in installing CCTV cameras in our community. In 2013 we got cameras in Healesville, Lilydale and Yarra Junction. I've lived in my community my whole life and I've seen the benefit of these cameras. In 2016 there were cameras put in at Belgrave, Monbulk, Mooroolbark, Mount Evelyn, Woori Yallock and Yarra Glen, and in 2019 they were put in at East Warburton, Upwey, Wandin North, Seville, Millgrove, Montrose, Warburton West and Warburton East—and then more again in Wandin and Upwey. They are making a difference in our community.

I've been speaking to local law enforcement, who are working with me to get some of these cameras upgraded to make sure our community is safe. There are businesses and chambers of commerce that are working with me that have had break-ins and issues happen in their community, in their stores. There is violence that happens on the streets of some of these towns, and they need CCTV to keep them safe. It gives the police lots of valuable assets. The most important one is deterrence. If criminals know there are cameras in streets and in communities, they are less likely to commit a crime. That means people are safer and that families and loved ones are safer. As the police said to me, it means many young women are safer to walk the streets of our community. But it's not just deterrence, which is crucial; it allows the police to gather evidence to prosecute those who have committed crimes.

I recently spoke with our local police officers, and they shared stories of how these cameras in our community have allowed them to catch criminals—and not just criminals locally. Many of the cameras are catching cars that are coming from other areas into our community. Major crimes have been foiled. Serious criminals have been arrested because of these cameras. The police want them, the community want them and I'm going to continue to work with the community to make sure that we have the most up-to-date technology.

But the Albanese Labor government is telling my community and many communities across our country that these cameras don't matter, that keeping community safe doesn't matter and that having early intervention, with high-risk youth programs, does not matter. They're showing that through their actions. They're showing that by cutting $50 million out of this fund while at the same time putting $40 million into selling the stage 3 tax cuts. Ultimately, governments and budgets are about choices. The choices a government make are all about what they're going to do. They're more focused on politics and on spin than on keeping people safe. I urge this government to reinstate the $50 million and put more into this to keep our community safe. (Time expired)

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

I joined the WA Police Force in 2006. For more than 15 years I served communities from Eucla to Karratha and back to Perth. My last position with the WA Police Force was working in the community engagement division. Engaging with the community I serve has always been important to me. I want our community to be safe. I want people in our community to have safe places. For police officers, engaging with our youth is also vital. When I was a police officer, I saw how initiatives such as the Police and Community Youth Centres, PCYC, and the Police Rangers program in secondary schools helped to form fellowship and positive relationships with young people. This helped to reduce crime. There are many community programs that make a difference. The Willetton Youth Centre in my electorate of Tangney helps to make young people feel safe, connected and welcome. The centre provides opportunities for youth to make connections, communicate and feel valued. I saw them learning new skills like music and martial arts.

When I engaged with anyone in our community, it was vital that I acted with the highest integrity. As a police officer, I wanted members of the community to trust me. Trust is so important, as it is a part of safety. I'm very proud to be part of the Albanese Labor government, which acts with integrity. The former Safer Communities Fund has been discredited due to the rorting of public funding by the previous government. The Auditor-General found that the grants under this program were only 'partly effective and partly consistent with the Commonwealth Grants Rules and Guidelines' and that 'funding decisions were not appropriately informed by departmental briefings'. This is not acting with integrity. The Albanese Labor government's grants are based on merits, they are transparent and they exist to meet the needs of our local communities.

Community safety is a priority for the Albanese government. Since October 2022 the government has committed more than $182 million from the Attorney-General's portfolio to improve community safety and security across Australia through community based crime prevention and justice reinvestment initiatives—for example, the Securing Faith-Based Places grants to improve security at religious schools and preschools, places of worship and faith based community centres. Last month I had the opportunity to visit the Chinese Presbyterian Church in Tangney, one of the recipients of the Securing Faith-Based Places grants. The leader of the church told me how they appreciated the opportunity to improve their safety and security. It must also be said that this grant was awarded through an open, competitive and merit based process.

As a former police officer, I also believe in the value of working together. In 2023, my colleague, the Attorney-General, the Hon. Mark Dreyfus KC, MP, re-established the Police Ministers Council. The former government disbanded the Ministerial Council for Police and Emergency Management. The Police Ministers Council brings together all police ministers from every state and territory, as well as the Australian Attorney-General, to coordinate and collaborate on a national level.

This forum was critical in progressing work on a national firearms register. This led to a National Cabinet landmark agreement in December 2023 to implement a national firearms register. This is the most significant improvement to the Australian firearm registry management system in almost 30 years. This will help keep our community and our police officers safer, and the involvement of all police ministers and police commissioners was critical to achieving this outcome. Integrity, trust and transparency will work together to achieve real outcomes. These are the values I held close as a police officer and, now, as your member of parliament. I'm proud to share these values— (Time expired)

Pat Conaghan (Cowper, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am very pleased to rise to speak on the Safer Communities Fund and to highlight the fact that Labor has ripped $50 million out of that fund. For those at home who don't know what the Safer Communities Fund does, on a practical level it provides safety for your community. Councils and local community groups can apply for funding for practical things that work on the ground—things like security cameras and lights. I'll speak to you while thinking about my former occupation as a police officer—a beat cop, a detective and a prosecutor.

These small applications in rural and regional areas are so important for police officers to do their jobs. You have cameras on every corner in cities and metropolitan areas, but in the regions we need this money to keep our communities safe as a deterrence factor and also so the police and law enforcement agencies are able to do their job. I'll give you a practical example. Kempsey Shire Council applied for CCTV under this and they received $300,000. There's a crime spree in South West Rocks. One of these cameras can pick up the car coming out of the town so that they know who the offenders are. That is from one camera. I had a meeting at South West Rocks recently. Some might consider it a small, sleepy coastal town, but over 300 people attended that crime forum, along with the police.

All of those people understand how important it is to have this Safer Communities Fund there. They know the application of the funding that has gone into their community, and the police are on the same level as the community. We need this. We need this to do our jobs. But it also does keep the community safe. Kids are walking home after sport safe. It starts to get dark at five o'clock in winter. The lights and cameras there keep them safe. It's deterrence for those who are thinking of committing offences, and we have seen a drop in the rates of graffiti, malicious damage and destruction of community property because of this investment into our communities.

The coalition recognised that. But now $50 million is being pulled away because it was considered waste and to have not been properly implemented.

Honourable Member:

An honourable member interjecting—

Terry Young (Longman, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

Pat Conaghan (Cowper, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, they spent $450 million on a referendum. Imagine what they could have done with that instead of dividing the country on a failed referendum.

An honourable member interjecting—

We should be here, supporting our regional communities and putting back that $50 million. You've just implemented a whole heap of new public servant jobs. In fact, it's the largest-growing employment area in Australia. Why don't we look after our people in the regions? Why do the people in the regions always have to suffer? Another example is Coffs Harbour, which received $900,000 to put up desperately needed lighting in and around the area. It has worked incredibly well. If we didn't have that—there's already increasing crime on the ground—one can imagine how much more the police resources would be stretched.

I say to the Albanese government and the Prime Minister: come outside and have a look at our regions. Talk to the people on the ground. Talk to the people who have implemented the programs for youth through this Safer Communities Fund, like those in Bellingen and Kempsey, where it actually makes a difference on the ground, because it is led by people on the ground and not by bureaucrats in the bubble in Canberra. That's where the problem lies. Mr Albanese, come and visit us in the regions, and I'll show you how it works.

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

I'm pleased to speak about this motion dealing with empowering youth and reducing crime—a motion straight out of the Liberal Party playbook. They prey on people's fears and try to scare and divide people into voting for them. They are boring and predictable, the original one-trick pony. The motion has no regard for facts or community. It is as sickening as it is repetitive.

Perhaps the member for La Trobe who brought the motion forgot it was his party that rorted the Safer Communities Fund under the supervision of the now Leader of the Opposition. Almost half of the total funding under this program was diverted from recommended merit based projects to projects in target coalition seats to buy votes. The Auditor-General found that funding decisions 'were not appropriately informed by departmental briefings'. Now the member for La Trobe wants to be taken seriously on a motion about community safety.

Give me a break! I heard no cries from the member for La Trobe when his leader and the rest of the Liberal Party tarnished the reputation of the Safer Communities Fund and sacrificed community safety for short-term political gain. The member for La Trobe has admitted that he personally intervened in the selection process to prioritise projects in Liberal target seats over communities that actually needed the funding. These are the people that we're supposed to believe care deeply about safety in our nation. Unlike those opposite, the Albanese Labor government acts with integrity and takes our responsibility to community safety seriously.

Since 22 October, we've provided $182 million to improve community safety through community based preventive and justice-free investment initiatives. Importantly, all this funding has gone to communities that really needed funding, because, in stark contrast to those opposite, our government runs transparent and fair grants processes. We serve the Australian people and make positive differences in communities right across the country, while those opposite serve themselves only.

Last year, the government implemented faith-based places grants to ensure that Australians can continue to safely practice their religions. This $50 million investment provides funding for security guards and upgrades to faith facilities and helps to protect Australians of faith from religious intolerance. In June this year, the Attorney-General announced funding of $13.57 million for state and territory Police Citizens Youth Clubs and Blue Light organisations. This program focuses on young people at risk of becoming involved with criminal and antisocial behaviour. It is cheaper to divert than to incarcerate.

Remember, it costs around $900,000 or a million dollars per year to keep one young person in custody. Diversionary activities improve young people's engagement with education and work-ready programs and foster family and community connections. From someone whose partner has worked in this area for 30-plus years, I can tell you that engagement with education is the key for people that might get into trouble. It helps reduce recidivism rates and is yet another example of this government's fair dinkum commitment to community safety. It also highlights the approach of early intervention and supporting young people so that they do not take those wrong turns.

Those opposite won't now acknowledge the value of these initiatives because, as we know, they are not serious about community safety. This motion is all about scaring the Australian community and taking them for mugs. Those opposite love mugs—they've still got plenty of those black mugs! But, if they really cared about community safety, maybe they wouldn't have disbanded the Ministerial Council for Police and Emergency Management, the Commonwealth's foremost body to engage with the states and territories on keeping Australians safe in their homes. We've reinstated this body, which has already proved its worth, supporting work on the implementation of a national firearms register—practical help.

If the member for La Trobe were serious about community safety, you would think he might have raised his concerns about national knife law reforms with his own party before bringing his sound-and-fury motion to this parliament. The measures in this motion were promised by the Liberal Party back in 2010. I could give the member for La Trobe the benefit of the doubt and assume he genuinely did not find the time to raise this issue with his colleagues during his nine years in government—or we could recognise this motion for what it is: a reflection of the shameful record of those opposite, prepared to exploit fear for their short-term political gain, rather than doing the right thing by the community. It is another shallow and cynical political attempt to scare Australians, in spite of the Albanese Labor government's actions, which are all about promoting community safety and harmony.

Terry Young (Longman, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The time allotted for the 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.