Print this pagePerth Community Cabinet Meeting
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The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister talking with students from Como Secondary College
On Wednesday 9 June 2010, the Australian Government held its 24th Community Cabinet meeting at Como Secondary College in Perth, Western Australia. This was the fourth Community Cabinet meeting held in Western Australia. Around 370 community members attended a public question-and-answer session with the Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers, followed by a series of meetings between individual ministers and members of the public.
Digby Mercer, Principal of Como Secondary College, welcomed the community to the meeting. May McGuire, Noongar elder and Barry McGuire, Noongar traditional song singer, gave the Welcome to Country. The Como Secondary College Musicians played a lively medley of jazz tunes to entertain the gathering before the arrival of the Prime Minister and ministers. Students from the school also assisted in preparing and serving refreshments. Samantha Thompson sang the Australian National Anthem.
The Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, gave an opening address in which he spoke about bringing the Government to the people, to hear from the community about what is going right and what is going wrong and how to improve into the future. He emphasised the Government’s commitment to building a stronger economy and a fairer Australia. Providing better economic opportunities, better education and health outcomes and more investment in infrastructure across the nation translated to outcomes that mattered to local communities. Commenting on the debate about the proposed Resource Super Profits Tax, the Prime Minister noted that the Government had provided the largest single infrastructure investment to Western Australia of any Australian Government, and informed the gathering of the creation of a $2 billion WA Regional Infrastructure Fund, operational in 2010, to improve the roads that support the needs of the mining industry.
The Prime Minister and ministers answered questions from the floor in the public forum. While the proposed Resources Super Profits Tax was expected to be the dominant issue, community members’ concerns covered a wide range of issues. These included the success of the Government’s autism programs, pensions for the aged and those with disabilities, increasing Australia’s level of foreign aid, protection for marine life through the establishment of marine parks, discontinuing the live export of sheep, and support for international students.
Following the forum, ministers moved to 67 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.
Resources