May2012_Dickson News
From your Federal Member for Dickson
PETER DUTTON
Mothers Day Classic
On Sunday, 13 May around Australia people will be participating in Australia’s largest charity fun run/walk, the Mother’s Day Classic. Last year the event raised a record $3million for research by the National Breast Cancer Foundation. The Brisbane event will start at 6am at the Cultural Forecourt, South Bank Parklands, Brisbane. This event is a great way to show your support for breast cancer survivors and families touched by breast cancer. More information is available at www.mothersdayclassic.com.au .
Labor’s NBN again delays broadband for Dickson
The Labor Government cancelled the Howard Government’s contract with the OPEL consortium to deliver a broadband network in outer suburban and rural and remote Australia by 2009. Had this contract proceeded, hundreds of thousands of homes would now be receiving broadband services – instead many now face a long wait before services are available under Labor’s NBN.
Dickson is one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas but residents and businesses are being deprived of broadband under the NBN, so the Government can ‘Pork Barrel’ Labor’s seats in an attempt to save Ministers at the next election. Many people in Dickson are angry about the neglect of Dickson in the latest NBN rollout plans. Twice they have been deprived of broadband by Labor. This Government’s poor delivery record leads me to doubt that this will be the last delay.
Last year, I hosted a forum at Samford with the Shadow Minister for Communications and Broadband, Malcolm Turnbull. Residents expressed their concerns about their need for broadband. At the forum, Mr Turnbull highlighted the risk of failure, delay and cost blow-outs for the plan.
“Dickson residents are right to be concerned about not being included in the rollout schedule. Among the Coalition’s main criticisms of the NBN is that the project is the slowest means of upgrading broadband (some suburbs won’t receive an upgrade for a decade), neglects those areas which currently have poor broadband and is already more than 12 months behind in schedule,” Mr Turnbull said.
The Coalition’s plan will deliver a better result for Dickson as part of a uniform national broadband network, under which 97 percent of premises are able to be served by high speed networks capable of delivering speeds up to 100Mbps, using a combination of technologies.
State Election Result
The recent state election result was decisive and historic. Queenslanders overwhelming endorsed the LNP’s positive policy platform to cut the cost of living, reduce waste, grow the economy, deliver better infrastructure and planning and revitalise frontline services. I look forward to working with Premier Campbell Newman and the new members of the Queensland Parliament, including Dale Shuttleworth in Ferny Grove and Seath Holswich in Pine Rivers, on issues important to local residents.
Government betrays trust of Dentists
Dentists have been treating patients referred by GPs under the Chronic Disease Dental Scheme (CDDS). This important scheme allows eligible patients with a chronic illness to receive dental treatment vital to their health. Many dentists have treated these patients only to have the Government demand the return of Medicare payments, months or years later.
Hardworking, community minded professionals are being treated as rorters for a mere technical paperwork issue, a requirement to report back to the referring GP prior to treatment. In some cases dentists could face bankruptcy for treating these patients, when they could have been making more money treating private patients. The Government is attacking the scheme for the political motive of destroying an important reform implemented by Hon Tony Abbott MP, when he was Health Minister.
I have introduced a private members bill to stand up for dentists and chronically ill patients in Dickson and around Australia. This would allow dentists to simply complete the paperwork, where all treatments were provided, rather than repay thousands of dollars for services they actually did perform in good faith.
Private Health Insurance Rebates Slashed a sign of approach to May Budget
Eleven million Australians are facing higher health costs directly and indirectly because of another broken promise by Labor. The Government introduced means testing of the rebate on private health insurance. This has eroded the peace of mind of Australians who can no longer afford premiums. At the same time those already relying on the public health system will face longer waiting times in an increasingly stretched system. Those still in private health will also face higher premiums. I am concerned that this will not be the last time this untrustworthy Government breaks a promise and imposes extra costs on families. With the carbon tax only weeks away, this Government’s mean deceptive attacks on family budgets will continue.
Federal Budget
The Federal Budget will be handed down in May. Speculation is already mounting about frontline services and programs that may be on the chopping block, as the Labor Government tries to dig its way out of a net debt of $133 billion and $167 billion in accumulated deficits. Labor has not delivered a surplus federally since 1989 and is still borrowing $100 million every day. It’s a long way from the $20 billion surplus and $70 billion in net Commonwealth assets left by the Coalition Government in 2007. Labor’s economic mismanagement not only leads to hard-earned taxpayers’ money being squandered, but results in important services and programs being cut. In my portfolio area, we have already seen cuts to the Medicare Safety Net, the deferral of new medicines being listed, slashing of the private health insurance rebate and an attempt to cut investment in health and medical research. The Coalition has consistently argued that the Government has its priorities wrong. Instead of funding a raft of new bureaucracies, tax dollars should be directed to frontline services and programs that directly help Australian families.
National Volunteer Week 14-20 May 2012
The 2012 theme for National Volunteers Week is: ‘Volunteers – Every One Counts’. It’s a great reminder to our community volunteers that they are supported and valued. Whether coaching a local sports team, helping our kids improve their reading or helping in emergencies, volunteers strengthen our community and make a major economic contribution of over $14 billion each year in unpaid work. For more information, resources or to list an event visit www.nationalvolunteerweek.com.au
Supporting our Veterans
Having paid our respects on ANZAC Day to the 100,000 Australians who have given their lives for our country, it’s timely to recognise the 3,300 Australian Defence Force personnel presently serving in overseas operations and our veterans of previous conflicts. In addition to important commemorative events we must continue practical support to those who have served Australia. The Coalition introduced legislation into this Parliament to provide fair indexation of the Defence Force Retirement Benefit (DFRB) and the Defence Force Retirement and Death Benefit (DFRDB) military superannuation pensions. Unfortunately, Labor and the Greens defeated the legislation in the Senate. The Coalition has reaffirmed our commitment to providing justice for veterans and their families on this issue.
Health and medical research
The Coalition has a long and proud history of supporting health and medical research and provided a five-fold increase in funding whilst in Government. This sector drives the discoveries that save lives, improve quality of life and it contributes significantly to our modern economy through highly-skilled employment. Research Australia, a national not for profit alliance of 170 research, biotech and medicine related organisations, is running ‘Cook for a Cure’ to help fund lifesaving research. Participants can organise a dinner with friends or a workplace morning tea or breakfast and select the health project they wish to support. For more information, please visit www.cookforacure.com.au.
