It’s great to see that Craig Laundy, the local member, is already a very popular local member and thanks everyone for being here this morning.
It’s great to see so many people out and about and I have a very clear message to everyone this morning.
This is a very Australian gathering. Many of you have come to Australia from other countries, but this is a very Australian gathering because in cities and towns right around our country, there are very diverse groups of people who have come together to join the Australian family.
Please don’t think of yourselves as newcomers; please think of yourselves as Australian.
As all of you would know from your experience here in this country, one of the great Aussie characteristics is to have a go – to have a go.
The great thing about migrants to Australia over many generations is that they’ve all had a go. They’ve had a go for themselves, they’ve had a go for their families, for their children, for their wider communities and that’s the great strength of our country. People come here from all parts of the world, they are welcomed into our big Australian family and they are encouraged to have a go. You are encouraged to have a go.
That’s what today is all about – encouraging you to have a go and making it as clear as we can to you that as far as the National Government is concerned – as far as the Commonwealth Government is concerned – we want to provide good services that will help people who are prepared to have a go.
It’s great to be here with community groups that have been working with migrants for many, many years now and I salute them. I salute all the council officers and all the local councillors who are here today.
But I particularly want to stress today a policy which the Coalition took to the election, which I’m very proud of. It was originally suggested to me by my friend, Noel Pearson, three or four years ago.
We call it the Job Commitment Bonus and what that policy means is that if you have been unemployed for twelve months or more and you get a job and you keep it for twelve months or more – don’t go back on social security – there will be a bonus of $2,500 at the end of that year. If you keep the job for two years – don’t go back on social security – there’ll be a further $4,000 made available, because we want to break the culture of unemployment.
We want to break the cycle of welfare dependency.
We don’t want people to leave school, go onto unemployment benefits and stay there. We think this is a marvellous way of letting people know if they do have a go, if they find a job and keep having a go, and stay in that job, and keep having a go and stay off welfare, well there’s something there as a tangible reward. There’s something there to reach out to, something there to look forward to, because having a job is the best single way to contribute to our community.
Yes, it’s fantastic to work with your community. It’s great to be a volunteer in a community group and both Craig and I over the years have done a lot of volunteering for community groups, but in the end, to make an economic contribution is the best way to be part of the wider Australian community - that’s why we’re so determined to make it easier for that to happen.
That’s why I’m so pleased to be here today to let you know that this new Job Commitment Bonus will be in place from 1 July this year. And I know there are people here – I met Malia on the way in, I met Simone on the way in. They are youngsters that are having a go and we want to encourage people who are having a go.
So, thank you so much and Craig, thanks for organising this.
[ends]