The Federal member for Macarthur, Dr Mike Freelander, has today urged the Prime Minister to reverse cuts to legal aid and community legal centres.
Failure to do so will have devastating effects to legal centres like the Macarthur Legal Centre, which helps thousands of people in the Macarthur community who have nowhere else to go, Dr Freelander told parliaments in his speech.
The Macarthur Legal Centre is one of many that have been told their federal funding is to be cut by 25 percent from the middle of 2017.
Dr Freelander told parliament the Macarthur Legal Centre is staffed with “passionate and selfless workers dedicated to helping those that are most vulnerable and most disadvantaged in our society, including people suffering from the effects of domestic violence, those with tenancy difficulties in a time of housing stress and those living in poverty.
“I have the highest regard for their professionalism, and I continue to refer people to them, both in my role as a parliamentarian and in my role as a paediatrician,’’ he said.
“I call on the government to fully reverse the cuts foreshadowed to all community legal aid centres.
“My plea to the Prime Minister is to show his better self, heed the expert advice and permanently reverse all the cuts and false economies first proposed by his predecessor.’’
The Macarthur Legal Centre has operated for 29 years, providing free legal advice, referrals and assistance for people of the Macarthur electorate and also those outside the electorate, the MP told parliament.
It is used by over 4,000 people every year.
“We have a responsibility, as members of parliament and as human beings, to ensure that all Australians have fair access to the law,’’ Dr Freelander said.
