Morwell electorate
Martin CAMERON (Morwell) (14:44): (342) My constituency question is for the Treasurer, and the question I ask is: will the government agree to increase funding for Lifeline Gippsland? I had the pleasure of hosting the recent Tee Up for Mental Health Golf Day at the Traralgon Golf Club, an annual event which raises critical funds for Lifeline Gippsland and Rotary. This year we raised $20,000. Earlier this year I also took part in the Push-up Challenge, again raising funds for Lifeline Gippsland. Labor’s funding of Lifeline is so inadequate that events like these are critical to keeping the organisation afloat so it can continue to field more than 11,000 calls every year from people in mental health crisis. Last year the Libs and Nats made a pre-election pledge to provide an additional $1 million over four years for Lifeline. To put that in other terms, the government is blowing $10 million a day in interest repayments and spiralling debt. So, Treasurer, for just over 2 hours worth of interest repayments, will you agree to increase the funding for Lifeline Gippsland?