Our Vic Parliament expo
Recently, we held our first Brotherhood of St. Laurence (BSL) expo at the Parliament of Victoria!
Over three days attendees, including the Victorian Premier, Ministers, backbenchers and the general public, came to the iconic Queens Hall to find out about our programs and services across all life stages.
The expo also included a display that laid out BSL’s rich 93-year history of tackling poverty and disadvantage across Victoria. There were also two live panel events – one on partnering to reduce poverty across Victoria and another on social procurement - as well as the launch of two reports from our Social Policy and Research Centre (SPARC).
Share
Our new SPARC reports
The first of the two reports launched was ' Support online: User experiences of digital platforms in the NDIS market ' – read it here!
In a grand presentation in Queen’s Hall, the report was launched by Paul Edbrooke MP, on behalf of Tim Pallas MP, with SPARC co-authors Andrew Thies and Georgia Katsikis, and hosted by Ismo Rama. The report itself shows show that regulatory frameworks aren't keeping up with protecting people with disability or workers using these digital platforms, and that there isn't sufficient training in the space.
The other report launched was 'Flip it! Reframing issues affecting women's economic security in Seymour' – read it here!
Launched by Minister for Education and Women, Natalie Hutchins MP, with BSL’s report authors Dr Dina Bowman and Dr Margaret Kabare, it uses the town of Seymour in central Victoria as a case study. The highlights how women's economic security is deeply affected by where they live, and how they're connected. It provides insights about adopting a gender lens and flipping the narrative from focusing on disadvantage to building opportunity. There was strong interest in how this research approach could be used to investigate circumstances in other towns and regions.
Panel discussions
In an inspiring live BSL Talks panel discussion, we spoke about ways of partnering with others for a poverty-free Victoria.Hosted by our very own Hutch Hussein, BSL’s Senior Manager Government Engagement, the panel featured BSL Executive Director, Travers McLeod, CEO of the Grattan Institute, Danielle Wood, and VCOSS CEO, Emma King. Together, they discussed the need to strive towards the eradication of poverty across Victoria and how partnerships with all tiers of government, the business sector, and others are needed to achieve this this goal.
The final event of the expo was an insightful panel discussion on social procurement where BSL and civil engineering company, Fulton Hogan, presented a case study about getting people into jobs. Through our ‘Given the Chance’ program, Fulton Hogan has employed more than 30 people across Victoria. The program has created sustainable, meaningful, long-term employment outcomes, breaking a cycle of disadvantage and generating life-changing impacts for people like Hind Osman who spoke as part of the panel.
Visiting Member of Parliament
Throughout the expo, many Ministers came to have a look and speak with our staff and participants, with many expressing their admiration through social media:
- Brad Rowswell MP - Thanks to the Brotherhood of St. Laurence and their CEO Travers for showcasing their incredible work at the Parliament of Victoria last week; all working together towards a Victoria free of poverty
- Ryan Batchelor MP - The Brotherhood of St. Laurence has been working hard since the 1930s to help Victorians out of poverty. Their display in Parliament’s Queens Hall this week showcased the important work they do every day right across Victoria. It was great to catch up with my old friend, BSL CEO, Travers McLeod and the rest of the team and lend my support to a Victoria free of poverty.
- David Hodgett MP - This week in Parliament it was wonderful to visit the Brotherhood of St. Laurence exhibition which showcased the work that the Brotherhood of St Laurence has done for more than 90 years helping those who have fallen on hard times. It was great to hear of the support they offer in Youth Transitions and also their work supporting those on the NDIS in the community.
A big thank you to BSL staff, participants, speakers, panelists, and attendees for your contributions at this landmark event – and demonstrating how we can all work together with our state politicians and their mighty departments in preventing and eliminating poverty across Victoria.
Find out more about BSL's programs and services on our website or see the expo from the many posts on LinkedIn , Facebook , or Instagram .