Andrew Leigh

ANDREW LEIGH MP

SHADOW ASSISTANT TREASURER

SHADOW MINISTER FOR COMPETITION AND PRODUCTIVITY

SHADOW MINISTER FOR TRADE IN SERVICES

SHADOW MINISTER FOR CHARITIES AND NOT-FOR-PROFITS

MEMBER FOR FENNER

RAFF CICCONE

LABOR SENATOR FOR VICTORIA

PETA MURPHY

LABOR CANDIDATE FOR DUNKLEY

MELBOURNE RECONNECTED ROUNDTABLE A SUCCESS

Today, we held Labor’s 18^th ‘Reconnected’ forum, this time with charities and not-for-profits in the Frankston region, exchanging ideas to boost social capital and community engagement.

Over the course of the last generation, Australians have become more disconnected. We are less likely to join community organisations or play organised sports. On average, Australians have fewer close friends, and know fewer neighbours. 

Across our Reconnected forums, we have been hearing from charities and organisations about what they’re doing to foster community and build social capital at a local level. These forums have drawn together representatives of more than 1600 Australian charities, including in Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Newcastle, Hobart, and Darwin.
 
The local groups who joined today‘s conversation included:

• Community Support Frankston
• Karingal Neighbourhood House
• Connecting2Australia
• Menzies: Caring for Kids 
• Mornington Community Information and Support Centre

Labor will give charities and community organisations a hand, and battlers a leg up. Labor has been working to make sure our charities can spend more of their valuable time and resources helping Australian communities and to protect their role as voices for the community. 
 
Over the past six years that I have had shadow ministerial responsibility for the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission, the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison Government has cycled through six ministers with responsibility for the commission. After trying to scrap the commission, they appointed a charity critic to head the organisation. The Coalition’s war on charities has prompted outrage from the community sector, which just wants to get on with their valuable work of helping the vulnerable and strengthening community.

Labor will always back charities and not-for-profits. We thank those representatives who joined us today for their efforts to build a more cohesive and connected Australia.

ENDS

Authorised by Noah Carroll ALP Canberra.