Hansard debates

Mr McGUIRE (Broadmeadows) (12:26:54) — Creating the Global Learning Village (GLV) 4.0 is my strategy to harness smart technologies for jobs of the future, health care of the future and enterprises of the future. GLV 4.0 would provide innovative, technology-based solutions in one of Australia's most disadvantaged and culturally diverse communities, Broadmeadows, to help alleviate poverty, create local jobs and empower local people to work, establish businesses and thrive. It would build on the almost 20 years of work in establishing the internationally acclaimed global learning village model for smarter, healthier, better connected and sustainable communities, which has been nominated for a Metropolis Award, showcased to 130 cities overseas and replicated in Australia.

When the Global Learning Village 1.0 began in 1999, the priority was building fundamental infrastructure. This included the first public library in Broadmeadows as the foundation for the Hume Global Learning Centre, followed by the Visy Cares Learning Centre in Meadow Heights and the Hume Global Learning Centre in Craigieburn, since acclaimed internationally as a leading community library. The Sunbury GLV is being built. Global Learning Village 2.0 delivered partnerships with Silicon Valley leaders Microsoft, Intel and Cisco Systems. Global Learning Village 3.0 established Australia's first multiversity, offering TAFE certificates from Kangan Institute and undergraduate and postgraduate degrees from La Trobe, Deakin and Victoria universities.

Two decades ago, I defined the biggest political divide in Australia as not between the philosophies of the Liberal and Labor parties, but between people who are informed and those who feel disconnected and forgotten. This is more important now, defining why we cannot afford a return to the reverse Robin Hood strategy of the Victorian coalition towards Broadmeadows and the federal coalition's managed decline of Melbourne's north.