Member for Isaacs, Mark Dreyfus has condemned the Turnbull Government for abandoning young people in the City of Frankston.
The Hon Mark Dreyfus QC MP
Shadow Attorney General
Shadow Minister for National Security
Federal Member for Isaacs
TURNBULL ABANDONS YOUNG PEOPLE IN FRANKSTON
Member for Isaacs, Mark Dreyfus has condemned the Turnbull Government for abandoning young people in the City of Frankston.
Mr Dreyfus today met with staff from the Young Peoples Legal Rights Centre (YouthLaw), which runs an outreach service from the Headspace in Frankston.
For the past two years YouthLaw has provided an outreach service in partnership with Headspace in Frankston to assist vulnerable young people with their legal problems.
Funding cuts by the Turnbull Government to YouthLaw will mean that the Frankston service will close in July 2017 and young Frankston residents will have to go to the City to access youth-focussed legal advice.
Over the past two years 1,768 young people across Victoria have been assisted by YouthLaws outreach program.
From July 1, YouthLaws Commonwealth funding will be slashed from $151,000 to just $84,000 per annum, a cut of approximately 45 per cent of its Commonwealth funding, forcing the closure of nine outreach services across Victoria.
This cut comes at the same time as the Turnbull Government pushes through a $24 billion tax cut for big business.
The Turnbull Governments funding cut to Community Legal Centres have devastated communities around Australia. The closure of this YouthLaw outreach service because of Turnbulls cuts will see young people in Frankston worse off, Mr Dreyfus said.
It is an indication of the Liberals utter disdain for the Frankston community that it would allow this essential service to close.
Why isnt Chris Crewther standing up for Frankston against cuts to essential services?
I call on the Turnbull Government to immediately restore funding to YouthLaw to allow it to continue its outreach service at the Frankston Headspace.
WEDNESDAY 12 APRIL 2017
