Mr BROADBENT (McMillan) (11:32):  The first thing I would like to do is identify with the member for Canberra who obviously speaks from not only her personal experience but the heart with regard to veterans, and Canberra would be a place and an electorate where these issues are at the forefront, rather than at the minimal. It is the same in places like Townsville, Cairns and right around our country.

The member for Canberra described the family experience of a returned soldier from the Vietnam War, and I would say to the member for Canberra that this family experience would be shared right across the country, but they made it. You made it. They made it through.

On Sunday, I'll be immersing myself in veterans on Long Tan day at Longwarry North hall. The hall was given to the Vietnam Veterans Motorcycle Chapter, Gippsland Chapter, and they have a very, very big event where riders come from all over the state, and especially all over Gippsland, to be part of the commemorations for Long Tan day. Denny will be there. 'T Rat' and 'Buzz' Kennedy will be there, a long-time associate of mine. Most recently—and I am not naming any names—I sat down with a Vietnam vet who, to all intents and purposes, at the times I have met him, has been an entirely articulate, friendly, warm and engaging gentleman.

He was affable. He was kind and supportive of his fellow man. He said, 'I want to have a cup of coffee with you.' I said, 'Fine.'

We went up to Neerim South and we sat down and had a cup of coffee in a little coffee shop there. He explained to me the truth of his life and how it had worked out, from the time he'd left the Defence Force as a Vietnam vet to this day—the marriage break-ups, the business turnarounds, his life with a new partner and the way she managed him and he managed his life. It turned out that I was old enough to be connected to his father. I remembered his father very well, but I hadn't connected the two people. As he told me his story, that this facade that was him in life—as we saw him, as the community saw him, as his friends saw him, as the people saw him—was just that, a facade. Underneath that, he was living a completely different life, unknown to the broader community. His story as a Vietnam vet is not unusual. What we've got to give them is some hope in their lives, some control of their lives and a sense of belonging, which they had in the Defence Force. The relationships they formed in the Defence Force are removed from them. I am really no expert in this field. I am a local member only, simply dealing with issues that are raised with me, as far as veterans affairs go, and we do our very, very best to accommodate them.

As I stand here today and hear the bipartisan nature of this address and the care about our veterans and their families from the member for Lingiari, a former Minister for Veterans' Affairs, I am reminded that, when I first came to this place in 1990, Robert Ray was the defence minister and the late Con Sciacca was the excellent Minister for Veterans' Affairs. His offsider, who I became quite close to because of the veterans affairs issues that I was dealing with all the time, was a fellow named Greg Rudd. I had never put together the fact that the Greg Rudd that I knew, who worked for Con Sciacca, was the then Prime Minister's brother. It was not until the former Speaker pulled me aside at a function one time and said, 'Look at that profile and then look at that profile.' I hadn't known that, and we had been friends for a long time. That friendship was borne out of Con Sciacca and Greg Rudd, who was prepared to work with every member of parliament in this place to get an outcome on behalf of veterans.

It was the same with Robert Ray. I remember going to Robert's Ray's office and being quite in awe. I was a new member of parliament and I had to go and see a minister over a land issue in my electorate with the Defence Force. I was five minutes late. I walked in and he said, 'It is absolutely correct to be five minutes late in this place; it gives everybody a few minutes to pull themselves together before a meeting.' He put me at ease straight away. Like all the ministers that come into this place to do their best, Robert Ray—Senator Robert Ray at that time—just said, 'Yes, we can resolve this issue, and here's the way we're going to go about it.' We worked closely with one another to resolve an issue that was important to a community that was directly related to Defence. That's what members do. I am blessed that I have a fellow named Bill Westhead, who's a former serving officer, who is directly interested in all of the issues surrounding this debate, as a branch member of my party. Any time we meet, he is prepared to raise issues with me.

I have heard many ministers talk about this. This is an excellent statement by the minister about veterans' affairs and their families, and the way the government is going about addressing their issues. One of the problems that we always have when somebody has their own personal issues is marrying them with the services we provide, getting them to cross that bridge. We say, 'This is what the government have done. These are the services we have got there for you.' We then get the person to acknowledge there is a problem and enter in to the service that we provide. We have Vietnam vets, welfare associations, RSL welfare and myriad organisations that try to bridge that gap, and that gap is quite often getting people, men and women, to have an advocate to help them cross the bridge to the services that we provide. Getting people who have issues to cross the bridge to say, 'I acknowledge I need help,' has been an ongoing difficulty for every government that I have ever seen in this nation be it state, federal or local. I can only encourage veterans their families. If there is an issue, there is a phone line, there is a welfare agency and there is somebody who actually cares about you to give back your hope, to give back your control and to say that you belong to our community, equally, as anybody.

I stand in this place where Bruce Scott, the former member for Maranoa, had such an influence in changing the ambience of this chamber. Bruce was a highly regarded veterans' affairs minister. People have known through the times that all veterans affairs ministers have a real heart for veterans as individuals. They really do. They go out of their way. Every one of the veterans' affairs ministers I have seen over the years has been honourable in this place and, as does Dan Tehan, have done a marvellous job. We support what you do as ministers. We support you in your endeavours on their behalf and we plead with those people who are in need to take a look at the services provided and enter in. Please, cross that bridge.

https://youtu.be/axqjwY9t9l4

Mr BROADBENT (McMillan) (11:29):  When you get to my age, you've not only lived aged care but you've administered aged care and you've been around aged care all of your life. I had the great pleasure for nearly 20 years of my life of being in my own show band called the Trutones, with Len McGill, Johnny Cosgrove, Mick Cook, Lloyd Poole, Frank Bunt and a few others. This week, Glen Campbell was taken by Alzheimer's. My dad succumbed to the same thing. I was thinking about Tony Wright's beautiful article in The Age on the weekend. The band was together last week for their 50-year anniversary. One song came to mind that we used every night. It was based around Glen Campbell's Gentle On My Mind. He didn't write it but he made it a hit. To me, it was a love song, not only to the boys in the band but to our families who were around us, protected us and looked after us. You have to remember that this band worked four nights a week for nearly 20 years. The lyrics to the song Gentle On My Mind say:

It's knowin' that your door is always open

And your path is free to walk

That makes me tend to leave my sleepin' bag

Rolled up and stashed behind your couch

And it's knowin' I'm not shackled

By forgotten words and bonds

And the ink stains that have dried upon some line

That keeps you in the back roads

By the rivers of my memory

That keeps you ever gentle on my mind

The second verse, where there was a key change, is:

It's not clingin' to the rocks and ivy

Planted on their columns now that bind me

Or something that somebody said because

They thought we fit together walkin'

It's just knowing that the world

Will not be cursing or forgiving

When I walk along some railroad track and find

That you're movin' on the back roads

By the rivers of my memory

And for hours you're just gentle on my mind

It steps up again and continues:

Though the wheat fields and the clothes lines

And the junkyards and the highways come between us

And some other woman's cryin' to her mother

'Cause she turned and I was gone

Then there are these amazing lines:

I still might run in silence

Tears of joy might stain my face

And the summer sun might burn me till I'm blind

But not to where I cannot see

You walkin' on the back roads

By the rivers flowin' gentle on my mind

The last verse, with the last key change, says:

I dip my cup of soup back from a gurglin' cracklin' cauldron

In some train yard

My beard a rustlin' coal pile

And a dirty hat pulled low across my face

Through cupped hands 'round a tin can

I pretend to hold you to my breast and find

That you're waitin' from the back roads

By the rivers of my memory

Ever smilin', ever gentle on my mind

Today we have a shared concern about aged care and moving from working life into retirement villages. There are the pitfalls that the member for Cunningham laid out so gracefully, previous to my address. We have a care that is built around not worry for our future but the full knowledge that we have an ageing population and there are different opportunities for their care. We, as a parliament and as a government, need to actually implement legislation that protects people's vulnerability in their cases.

As I said, when you get to my age, you have lived aged care. I will tell you the experience of my parents. Mum decided she would never, ever go into care, and didn't. Careful what comes out of your mouth! For my in-laws, can I say that every day in aged care was perfect or the situations they found themselves in were perfect? No, they weren't perfect, but they were very good. Basically, across Australia we don't have crooks in the system. We have good people in the system giving very good care. But a few are out of order. I understand that.

This week we lost Glen Campbell. He played such a big part in the song Gentle On My Mind. There are the songs of Frank Sinatra and The Beach Boys. Glen Campbell was involved in all of those songs—the songs of the lives of those going into old age and aged care.

https://youtu.be/nJNfmnPxniE

Mr BROADBENT (McMillan) (10:54):  There could've been champions asked every Saturday morning: what have you learnt today? I've learnt today that the people of Corangamite are in very good hands under the stewardship of their member, Sarah Henderson. I would also like to talk about the Building Better Regions Fund, because it was from it that a $900,000 grant went to the Bunyip Strikers soccer club.

Adrian Gatti said it was 'great news for a little town with a big heart'.

But none of this would have happened without Tony Arrigo. I will read to you Tony's story about the creation of the Bunyip Soccer Club:

It was a dream come true for me to establish a soccer club in Bunyip. I didn't have the time when I had a young family. Once I retired in 2007, though, my wife Carmelina said to speak to a few people about establishing something. Initially I spoke to Bill Pearson and Alan Cole.

After an expression of interest was published locally, about 50 people turned up at the Bunyip Hall. I thought that was very encouraging. In 2008 I shopped around for a committee for the club and after six to eight months I had everyone together.

Next I had to get permission to start up a soccer field at the recreation reserve. The request was granted by the reserve committee and the Cardinia Shire Council and we were given the west side of the reserve.

Next began the work to establish a proper playing field, something that was achieved through the efforts of community volunteers and donations from businesses around the town. A lot of time was spent by volunteers raising money to buy goals and soil.

It took 12 months to get the ground up to scratch and we started playing interclub matches. In 2009, we began getting ready for competition with gala days and friendly games with nearby clubs, applying to the Football Federation of Victoria to get permission to play in a league.

It meant the ground had to be up to scratch and compliant with all the standards. In the beginning the conditions were difficult and we were running lighting from a lead that was plugged into the kiosk, so the kids could see in the winter and for the seniors to train. The kiosk was also a source of water and drinks.

Lighting was organised in late 2010 or early 2011 with help from Member for Bass Ken Smith and several other politicians. In 2010 we were accepted into the metropolitan league. The numbers have always been good—around 150 to begin with and around 200 now—and we have six playing teams.

I would like to congratulate and thank Russell—

that is, me—

the volunteers and Cardinia Shire Council for all its support. I feel so proud too that Cardinia Shire Council named Arrigo Avenue after Carmelina and I.

That's a great story from Tony. It's a good story about an Italian migrant who brought soccer to Bunyip and made it a tradition for time to come.

https://youtu.be/WkNknSXSD6E

Member for McMillan Russell Broadbent has welcomed decisive action by the Federal Government to reduce energy prices for Australian families and businesses.

"It is simply not good enough that some consumers cannot always afford to turn on their lights, heating and equipment. This must stop," Mr Broadbent said.

"Too many families are not on the best power deal. That is why the government has taken further action.

"We are pleased to have secured agreement from retailers on immediate measures and ongoing changes, to be backed by law, to put families and small business first."

The commitments include:

"These are the immediate actions we have secured to help ensure families are not paying more for their power than they should," Mr Broadbent said.

"The industry and government will continue to work together over the coming months to make more changes that will ensure families do not have to pay a cent more for electricity than they need to."

Mr BROADBENT (McMillan) (13:41):  Jim Connaghan, Ken Finlay, John Forsyth, Pat Esse and Kalie Nookes are committee members of the Keenagers. Keenagers are retired people who play table tennis. They play table tennis at Latrobe Leisure Moe Newborough. A long time ago the government of the day promised to spend $1 million on a new section for the centre. There's a little problem that came up: we lost that election campaign, so that promise was never fulfilled. But we've never forgotten the promise. At the moment, because of the changes that are happening in Latrobe Valley I've got a proposition to upgrade the centre so that the Keenagers get a centre or a room for table tennis. It can be used for other things, but basically table tennis will be the focus.

These people who play table tennis range from their fifties up to 90 years of age, and my connection with them goes back to Jim Connaghan, who came to see me one day and said: 'We carry out these huge tables every time we want to play table tennis and then we have to put them away at the end of the day. It'd be great if we had our own centre.' So I'm promoting once again the opportunity for the whole centre to be rebuilt, revamped, re-established so that the Keenagers can have their day in the sun.

https://youtu.be/-eVSOSsmfEY

Bunyip will receive a boost following news that the Bunyip Recreation Reserve Community Soccer Pavilion has won funding through the Coalition Government’s Building Better Regions Fund, Member for McMillan Russell Broadbent announced yesterday.

Mr Broadbent said the project would receive $900,000, helping make it a reality.

“Bunyip will receive great benefits from this project, including improvements in health, greater participation in sport and more social inclusion,” Mr Broadbent said.

“We've fought long and hard for this project and it's so great to see it delivered. The Building Better Regions Fund received more than 500 applications and ours was one of about 100 which were approved.

"I congratulate Cardinia Shire Council and the Bunyip Soccer Club and look forward to working with them to deliver benefits to the local community.”

Minister for Regional Development Fiona Nash said she created the Building Better Regions Fund to help build strong communities for decades to come.

"I aim to help build the kinds of regional communities our children and grandchildren either want to stay in or come back to, and projects like this one do exactly that," Minister Nash said.

“After a competitive merit-based selection process, there are always those who were not successful and are naturally disappointed. We know this and we've got dedicated staff in the Department of Industry to give tailored feedback to each unsuccessful applicant to help improve those applications for next time. They can be contacted on bbrffeedback@industry.gov.au."

Minister Nash said she expected to open another round of BBRF before the end of the year.
Minister Nash will announce the successful applicants for funding under the BBRF’s Community Investments Stream – for projects designed to support a range of local capability-building activities – in the coming months.
More information about the Building Better Regions Fund is available at: www.business.gov.au/bbrf

The Turnbull Government is creating more pathways for young people to move off welfare and into a
job with the Australian Hotels Association (AHA) increasing their target for the Youth Jobs PaTH
program, aiming to deliver up to 10,000 internships.

This commitment from a key industry body will help deliver highly valuable experience to thousands
of young Australians, helping them develop the skills they require to become job ready.

“The Turnbull Government’s Youth Jobs PaTH is all about giving local young people the skills they
need, giving them practical work experience and getting them a job,” Mr Broadbent said.

“Since the Coalition was elected in 2013 the economy has created more than 700,000 jobs. The Youth
Jobs PaTH program is a central element of the Turnbull Government’s comprehensive plan to get more
Australians into work.”

“Today’s commitment from the AHA will ensure more young people are given a go and gain vital
workplace experience.”

Minister Cash said the Turnbull Government is getting on with the job of helping more young
Australians into work.

“We recognise that the best way to do this is to build a strong economy that enables employers to
be more productive, competitive and innovative and to create more job opportunities,” Minister Cash
said.

“The Coalition believes the best form of welfare is a job and our PaTH program is delivering
opportunities for young Australians to gain the skills and experience they need to move off welfare
and into work.”

Minister Cash said internships improve an applicant’s chances of finding employment and the early
results clearly demonstrate the PaTH program is delivering promising outcomes for participants.

“The results achieved to date demonstrate that PaTH is working as 6,654 individuals have commenced
a training course, 1,015 internship placements have begun and 7,539 Youth Bonus wage subsidy
agreements
have been entered into,” Minister Cash said.

Australian Hotels Association WA CEO Bradley Woods said the PaTH program will help thousands of
Australians who have had difficulty getting a start in a job to join the hotel industry.

“Getting a start in the world of employment is always hard, but PaTH offers a much-needed boost,
which is just what so many young people want and need. Financial support for both young people and
business provides a platform for positive long-term employment outcomes,” Mr Woods said.

Minister Cash said the hospitality industry plays a key role in offering opportunities to young
Australians and is a sector that is set to experience significant growth in the coming years.

“The hospitality sector already supports more than 870,000 jobs across Australia and is forecast to
expand rapidly, with almost 100,000 jobs expected to be created in this sector in the next five
years,” Minister Cash said.

PaTH provides additional support to youths who need it most – those who are often highly
disadvantaged either through their personal backgrounds, or by limited employment opportunities in
their region. It helps those who may not have stood much of a chance of securing work if not for
this valuable programme.

The elements of Youth Jobs PaTH are:

• Prepare — Employability Skills Training to help young people better understand what employers
expect of them in the workplace and equip them with the skills, attitude and behaviours for them to
be successful in a job.
• Trial —an internship for a period of between 4 to 12 weeks.
• Hire — a Youth Bonus wage subsidy of up to $10,000 to help more businesses hire young people.
Further information about Youth Jobs PaTH, including internships, is available at jobactive.gov.au/path

Russell Broadbent MP
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