One of the great privileges of being the Member for Canberra is the opportunity to meet and chat with so many Canberrans. I’m very proud to represent such an engaged, caring, and civic-minded community.
At the heart of our community is the invaluable contribution of volunteers. From schools to sporting clubs, charity organisations and environmental conservation groups, volunteers play an indispensable role in shaping and enriching Canberra. While our community benefits, volunteering also has its own rewards, including the creation of social bonds and fostering a sense of belonging and wellbeing.
Economically, volunteers contribute more than $1.5 billion to the ACT economy every year, and up to $290 billion nationally.
The ACT has one of the highest rates of volunteering in Australia – at more than 30 per cent of the population for formal volunteering and close to 39 per cent for informal volunteering. As your representative, I have the opportunity to hear firsthand about the important work a number of organisations and their wonderful volunteers do.
Recently I met with volunteers with St John Ambulance CBR NightCrew – who brave the cold night and stay out into the early hours of the morning to help keep nighttime revellers safe in Civic every weekend. The volunteers spoke of being driven by the desire to be there to help others in a tough moment.
I’ve also spent time with the Vinnies Night Patrol, This Is My Brave, OrangeSky, OzHarvest, St John’s Care, Landcare, Friends of Grasslands, the Early Morning Centre (where I also used to be a regular volunteer) and so many others who work to support and improve the capital.
Volunteering connects our community and has been an important part of my life. My experiences as a volunteer with people experiencing poverty, homelessness, addiction, loneliness, and other issues are a huge part of what has driven me to ultimately be involved in politics.
When I joined the Labor Party in 2006, it was to be a volunteer and get involved in fighting for change in our country, through letterboxing, doorknocking and having conversations on street stalls. As an MP, I am privileged to have the support of volunteers, who generously give up their time to campaign on important issues. Volunteers play a huge role in our democracy and will be crucial to the upcoming Voice Referendum.
I am proud to be part of a Government that is supporting the volunteers who give up their time to help improve their communities through an additional $4 million funding boost for Volunteering Resource Centres – which will assist up to 37 centres nationally.
The Albanese Labor Government is also providing $367,000 to Volunteering Australia to coordinate the implementation of the National Volunteering Strategy – which will work to improve support across the volunteering sector in Australia – and $240,000 over the next three years for National Volunteer Week.
Thank you to all Canberra’s volunteers for the work you do. Our city, environment and community could not get by without you.
