Clare highlights extraordinary local community groups

 Federal MP for Blaxland Jason Clare brought Shadow Minister for Families and Social Services Jenny Macklin to Bankstown to meet with local community groups and hear first-hand about the challenges facing our community.

 Mr Clare and Ms Macklin met with 20 community groups including:

• Bankstown Multicultural Youth Service
• Chester Hill Neighbourhood Centre
• PCYC Bankstown
• Bankstown Women’s Health Centre
• Youth Off the Streets
• Bankstown Youth Development Service
• Mission Australia
• Metro Assits
• Creating Links

 Mr Clare said local community support groups do a fantastic job in challenging circumstances.

 “I asked Jenny to meet with the groups who are working at the front line – the workers helping the people who need it in our community,” Mr Clare said.

 “I’m really proud of the work they do – but they face an uphill battle.

 “This was our opportunity to brief the Shadow Minister directly on the challenges facing a diverse community like ours.”

 Local community groups told Ms Macklin and Mr Clare about their experiences of major challenges facing our local community, like:

• High rates of unemployment amongst people who struggle with English
• High rates of domestic violence
• Higher than average rates of diseases like diabetes
• People from non-English speaking backgrounds being diagnosed too late with life- threatening diseases like cancer because of difficulties seeking medical help.

“We have got some big challenges. Unfortunately the Turnbull Government is ignoring them. Instead they are focused on tax cuts for millionaires and multinationals and the NSW Liberal Government that wants to spend billions on new stadiums we don’t need.

“These are the wrong priorities and we heard today that choices like these are hurting our community. 

“I’ll keep fighting for more support for our local community groups so they can do what they do best – help local people who need it.”