Print this pageCanning Vale Community Cabinet Meeting
The Government’s first Community Cabinet Meeting was held on Sunday 20 January 2008, at the Canning Vale College in Perth, Western Australia. More than 600 West Australians turned up to hear from the Prime Minister, and express their views and concerns directly to Ministers and heads of government departments.
The Community Cabinet Meeting was opened by string quartet, Tonic, the Principal of Canning Vale College, Mr Ron Bamford and a Welcome to Country by indigenous elder Mr Neville Collard, followed by the singing of the National Anthem by local 13 year-old Imogen Appleby and introductory remarks from the Prime Minister.
The meeting then proceeded to a 90-minute open forum where Cabinet Ministers answered questions from the floor. The questions canvassed local, national and international issues ranging from government policy on the invasion of cane toads into Western Australia, to a request that the government simplify the taxation system, to questions regarding Australia’s response to Japanese whaling activities in the Southern Ocean.
Other issues raised included the housing affordability crisis, human rights in China, the plight of Indigenous Australians, funding for state schools and the difficulties faced by Australians who rely on the aged pension.
The day ended with members of the public having one-on-one meetings with Ministers to discuss particular issues of concern. Over 70 meetings were held, and attendees included lobby groups and individual members of the public, such as Janet, Andrew and Georgia McLean, the parents and younger sister of a four year old autistic boy, Joshua, who met jointly with the Prime Minister and the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs to plead for greater recognition of the plight of autistic children.
The next Community Cabinet Meeting was held at Narangba Valley State High School, in the electorate of Longman in Queensland on Sunday 2 March 2008.