Print this pageBeenleigh Community Cabinet Meeting
On Tuesday 30 June 2009, the Australian Government held its 13th Community Cabinet meeting at Beenleigh State High School in Beenleigh, Queensland. 527 community members registered to attend a public question-and-answer session with the Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers. This was followed by one-on-one meetings between individual ministers and community members.
Students of the Beenleigh State High School entertained the assembling crowd before the meeting with musical performances. The Beenleigh Vocal Group opened the public forum with the Australian National Anthem.
Ms Sam Knowles, Executive Director of the Logan-Albert Beaudesert District Office, Education Queensland, welcomed the Prime Minister and the Cabinet to the meeting and acknowledged the Gungingin people as traditional owners of the land on which the meeting was held.
The Prime Minister Kevin Rudd spoke for a short period, during which he emphasised the Government’s ongoing commitment to holding Community Cabinets across the country as a means of remaining in touch with the community and responding to community needs. He also spoke on the Government’s continuing plan for Australia to address the global financial crisis through ‘Nation Building for Recovery’. Mr Rudd outlined the government’s approach, which has employed a range of measures including cash payments, stimulus packages, investment in schools, and investment in large scale infrastructure, to position Australia to emerge strongly from the global recession.
Participants in the public forum questioned the Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers on local and national issues that ranged widely. They included education and employment opportunities for people with a disability, pay for carers, broadband access for local businesses, Australia’s greenhouse gas emission targets, the importance of China to Australia’s economy and Government support to improve Indigenous enrolments in universities, particularly in midwifery programs.
Following the forum, ministers moved to various school rooms for 67 pre-arranged one-on-one meetings. The meetings provided individuals with an opportunity to discuss a personal matter or an issue of concern to the community directly with Cabinet ministers.
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