Andrew Leigh

ANDREW LEIGH MP
SHADOW ASSISTANT TREASURER
SHADOW MINISTER FOR COMPETITION AND PRODUCTIVITY
SHADOW MINISTER CHARITIES AND NOT-FOR-PROFITS
SHADOW MINISTER FOR TRADE IN SERVICES
MEMBER FOR FENNER
 
PATRICK GORMAN
MEMBER FOR PERTH
 
HANNAH BEAZLEY
LABOR CANDIDATE FOR SWAN
 
PERTH RECONNECTED FORUM A SUCCESS

 
Today, we held a successful ‘Reconnected’ forum with Perth charities and not-for-profits, exchanging ideas to boost social capital and community engagement.

Over the course of the last generation, there have been some worrying trends. Australians are less likely to join community organisations or play organised sports. Australians have fewer close friends, and are less likely to know our neighbours.

These are the trends Labor is trying to reverse as we hear from charities and organisations about what they’re doing to foster community and build social capital at a local level.

Today‘s was the fifteenth Reconnected forum, following on from successful forums in places such as Brisbane, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide, Newcastle, Hobart, and Darwin.

Across these forums, we have had the chance to meet with representatives of more than 1400 Australian charities.

The local groups who joined today‘s conversation included:
 

• Foodbank WA
• Aboriginal Health Council of WA
• Royal Life Saving Society WA
• Umbrella Multicultural Community Care
• Ngala Community Services

 
Labor will give charities and community organisations a hand, and battlers a leg up.

Labor has been working with the Hands off Our Charities Alliance to push back against Coalition measures that would stifle the voices of charities and not-for –profits. Since 2013, Andrew Leigh has had shadow ministerial responsibility for the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission. During those five years, the Abbott-Turnbull Government has cycled through five ministers with responsibility for the charities commission, and are about to move on to their sixth minister. Australia’s charity sector deserves better than a revolving door from the Coalition.

A life spent with others is a better life. We thank the organisations who participated in today‘s vital conversation for their energy and ideas, and look forward to continuing to work with them in the future.
 
TUESDAY, 28 AUGUST 2018

Authorised by Noah Carroll ALP Canberra