Print this pageElizabeth Community Cabinet Meeting
On Tuesday 28 July 2009, the Australian Government held its 14th Community Cabinet meeting at Fremont-Elizabeth City High School in Elizabeth, South Australia. This was the second Community Cabinet meeting held in South Australia, with meetings having now been held in every state and the Northern Territory. Nearly 500 community members attended a public question-and-answer session with the Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers which was followed by a series of meetings between individual ministers and community members.
School Principal Peta Kourbelis welcomed the community to the meeting, and Josie Agius and Alisha Boxer welcomed the Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers to the traditional lands of the Kaurna people. The very lively Fremont-Elizabeth City High School Senior Stage Band entertained the crowd, and opened the public forum with the Australian National Anthem.
Introduced by local Member for Wakefield, Nick Champion MP, the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd addressed a very focused audience, 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. The Prime Minister acknowledged the impact the global recession has had on local industry and jobs, and emphasised the Government’s support for the local automobile industry during this tough time. Mr Rudd spoke of the Government’s Nation Building for Recovery Plan, with specific reference to the Jobs and Training Compact, and its benefits for young Australians and those who have been retrenched as a result of the global economic recession. The Prime Minister also spoke about the National Health and Hospital Reform Commission report, and of plans to consult widely with health professionals across the country on health reform proposals.
The Prime Minister and ministers answered questions from the audience that dealt with such topics as public infrastructure and accessibility for people with a disability, the National Curriculum framework, a national strategy for volunteers, funding for autism support packages in schools, indemnity insurance for all health practitioners, short and long term goals of the Government’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, and the opening of the GP Superclinic in the Playford area.
Following the forum, ministers moved to 47 pre-arranged one-on-one meetings. These meetings provided individuals with an opportunity to discuss a personal matter or an issue of concern directly with the relevant minister.
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