Andrew Leigh

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
DOORSTOP
MORUYA
FRIDAY, 10 JUNE 2016

SUBJECT/S: Funding for Shoalcoast Community Legal Centre

FIONA PHILLIPS, LABOR CANDIDATE FOR GILMORE: I’m standing outside the Moruya Court House today with Andrew Leigh, Labor's Shadow Assistant Treasurer. We're here with an exciting announcement, that Labor will be providing $450,000 for Shoalcoast Community Legal Centre over three years if a Shorten Labor Government is elected.

We're absolutely thrilled about this announcement. We know the important work that Shoalcoast Community Legal Centre provides right across the Gilmore electorate through their outreach programs helping the people of Gilmore with family issues and domestic violence issues as well as assisting the elderly. I'll hand over to Andrew.

ANDREW LEIGH, SHADOW ASSISTANT TREASURER: Thanks so much Fiona and it's great to be here with Fiona Phillips, Labor's outstanding Candidate for the seat of Gilmore. The work that community legal centres do across Australia is in assisting the most vulnerable. People fleeing from family violence, people suffering from consumer rip-offs, people with tenancy problems, people who have nowhere else to turn for legal advice.

Yet all the Abbott-Turnbull Government has done since they've come to office is to cut, cut and cut. Last year 160,000 people were turned away from community legal centres as a result of the cuts inflicted upon them by the Abbott-Turnbull Government.

Labor has announced that we'll be putting money back into community legal centres, into the front line of assisting some of the most vulnerable as they deal with their legal challenges. This funding for the Shoalcoast Community Legal Centre will ensure that they're able to keep their doors open.

Importantly, this is funding that will be provided if a Shorten Government is elected. It is not dependent upon the election of Fiona Phillips – although Fiona would be a great Member for Gilmore. Let me make absolutely clear: this is funding that Labor would provide regardless of the outcome in Gilmore.

I say that in contrast with the statement made by the Liberal member just this week. Ann Sudmalis said that Liberal Government funding would only be supplied if she was personally re-elected. That's not how good government should work. Ann Sudmalis should apologise to the people of Gilmore for her “Sophie Mirabella moment”. Promises made by either side of politics ought not to be contingent on what happens in a particular seat.

No questions? Thanks. 

ENDS