Aug2012_DICKSON NEWS

Nominations for Australian of the Year 2013
Nominations have opened for the 2013 Australian of the Year Awards.  This is a great opportunity to recognise the extraordinary contributions, of many Australians, to our great nation.  Outstanding individuals can be honoured as Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year or Australia’s Local Hero.
Nominations close on the 31 August 2012 and can be completed online or forms are available at my office.  For more information or materials please contact the National Australia Day Council on 1300 655 193 or visit:
www.australianoftheyear.org.au .
Carbon Tax Commences
The carbon tax of Labor-Greens Government has commenced its toxic cascade through our nation’s economy.  One of the main problems with the carbon tax is that it increases electricity and gas prices resulting in economy wide impacts. This is disastrous action to take in the globalised world in which we live.  Manufacturing can easily move off-shore, meaning that we export jobs and fail to achieve any environmental benefits.  Goods and services used by individuals and businesses become more expensive.
Most Australians instinctively know that if you destroy the economy there is little capacity to protect the environment. That’s why the Coalition has a direct action plan to reduce our emissions, rather than big new tax that makes everything more expensive, without benefiting the environment.
One of the groups that will hardest hit by the carbon tax is small business.  I have been in touch with local business people who are facing large increases in energy bills and their goods suppliers are also increasing their prices.  This means that small businesses will have thousands of dollars torn from their margin, because customers won’t tolerate large price increases.  Large businesses can survive whilst consumers adjust to new higher pricing under the carbon tax but for small operators six months of poor sales is very dangerous.
As Shadow Health Minister for Health and Ageing, I will continue to closely watch the impact of this tax on our health system.  Just like other small businesses, our pharmacists, general practitioners and other health professionals will be hit hard by energy price increases.  Our public hospitals are already struggling to meet the needs of our community. Hospital energy needs for important medical equipment cannot be reduced.  This means that frontline services are at risk because hospital managers face difficult choices because of this unnecessary burden.  For those using the private system price increases will eventually flow through to patients.
This carbon tax is bad policy made worse because the Prime Minister promised not introduce it at the last election.  This big new tax is not just toxic for the economy, it’s undemocratic.
Book Week – 18 – 24 August
Parents and teachers know how important reading is for the education of children.  This year ‘Book Week’ will run from the 18 – 24 August and the theme is ‘Champions Read’.  It’s the longest running children’s festival in Australia and includes activities, competitions and story telling to promote the importance of reading.
Book week is run by the Children’s Book Council of Australia and this year’s shortlist has been announced.  This list is a great way to find excellent children’s literature to share with your children.  Why not check out some of the titles at your local library, book shop or school library or ask a librarian what activities they have planned?  The short list is published on the internet at:
http://cbca.org.au/shortlist_2012.htm
Peter Dutton
Phone 3205 9977 (Office)
Shop 3/ 199 Gympie Road, Strathpine.