In the News
Thursday, 29 November 2012
The Federal Member for Mitchell, Alex Hawke MP, is inviting residents to download Tony Abbott’s book A Strong Australia so they can read for themselves the Coalition’s positive plans for a strong and prosperous economy and a safe and secure Australia.
“This is a terrific free e-book which details all of the Coalition’s plans to help families and make the economy stronger, said Alex Hawke.
“It sets out the plan to build a powerhouse economy through lower taxes, more efficient government and more productive businesses that will deliver more jobs, higher wages and better services for Australian families.
“A Strong Australia can be read on your iPad, iPhone, Kindle, Kobo e-reader as well as being available as a PDF and I do hope many local people take the time to read this e-book.
Alex Hawke said he had been reading A Strong Australia which covers the major speeches given by Tony Abbott during 2012.
“What you see are the strong, intellectual underpinnings of our plans for Australia and the competence and experience of the Coalition team.
“If you want to know what the next Coalition government will be like, you should read this book. It’s the plan for government that the Coalition has been developing to give everyone the hope, reward and opportunity that Australians deserve,” concluded Alex Hawke.
The e-book can be downloaded from www.liberal.org.au or www.tonyabbott.com.au and in coming days it will also be available from iTunes and other e-book sites.
Thursday, 22 November 2012
The Federal Member for Mitchell, Alex Hawke MP, is calling on the Gillard Government to come clean and tell hard working Australians in Mitchell that they will finance this Government’s economic mismanagement.
“Wayne Swan is at it again, removing incentives for hard working Australians to secure their economic future. It is bad enough that the Gillard Government has spent this nation into a $173 billion budget black hole, but now he is hitting those with self-managed superannuation funds with higher fees.
“Over the forward estimates released in the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook, over half of the Gillard Government’s so called “iron-clad” surplus will be delivered by ripping even more money out of superannuation, said Alex Hawke.
The government’s increase to the Self Managed Superannuation Fund Levy from $191 to $259 will hit 480,000 self managed superannuation funds nationwide, including 7,500 self managed superannuation funds in Mitchell, raising $320 million.
This latest tax grab comes on top of previous tax increases targeting those Australians saving for their retirement, such as Labor's dramatic reduction in concessional contribution caps down from $50,000 and $100,000 to $25,000 and savage cutbacks to the successful and popular co-contribution scheme which was introduced by the Howard Coalition government.
“I have spoken with many people in our local community who are concerned that after working hard for many years to achieve financial independence in retirement that this Government is going to take that away from them with increases to the Self Managed Superannuation Fund Levy.
“These short-sighted actions will end up costing Government more money in the long run, and reek of a desperate government which is out of ideas, out of money and that has a blatant disregard for the future. A Coalition Government will get Australia back on track by rewarding these hard-working Australians” concluded Alex Hawke.
Background
Australia has almost 2,400 uniformed Defence personnel in the Middle East, including 1,550 in Afghanistan as part of Operation Slipper. Furthermore there are close to 400 troops in East Timor and 80 in the Solomon Islands and small numbers in South Sudan, Sinai and Egypt. These committed men and women are serving our nation and will miss out on spending Christmas at home with family and friends.
The aim of ‘Christmas for the Troops’ is to provide an Aussie Christmas for our deployed forces through the provision of care packages that contain donated items including magazines, lollies or toiletries.
Concept
Australia Post offers a free postal service for care packages, up to 2kg (cubed), to all Australian Forces Postal Offices (AFPO). This service includes our forces in the Middle East, including Afghanistan, as well to East Timor and the Solomon Islands. The service helps to boost the morale of deployed troops through the provision of care packages and letters of support within the package. Including a stamped self addressed envelope will also allow the recipient to send a letter of thanks back to the sender.
How to Donate
Defence has amended its guidance since 2011 with relation to the sending of care packages, including what can be sent, so please be sure to read the following information carefully.
A care package can be sent free of charge to the below AFPO address so long as it strictly complies with Australia Post guidelines.
In order to qualify for free postage, care packages can weigh no more than 2kg (cubed) and should be packaged within a “BM” size box, which is available from Australia Post for approximately two dollars. You will also be required to present photographic identification, fill in some customs forms and it is suggested that you use a liberal amount of packing tape to ensure that all of the contents arrive at their destination.
In order to ensure parcels reach the widest possible number of personnel, please ensure they are gender neutral and address all parcels to “An Australian Defence Member” and not to a specific job title, trade or unit.
Additionally, please note that Defence is no longer able to accept care packages for Military Working Dogs or Explosive Detection Dogs due to their strict diet and training requirements.
The unique Australian Forces Post Office (AFPO) box will be open from 22 October until 7 December 2012. In order to ensure the packages reach the troops by Christmas, all packages should be lodged with Australia Post no later than 7 December 2012.
Address Details
To send a care package or letter of support to an ADF member posted overseas, address the package or letter to:
An Australian Defence Member
AFPO 60
ADF NSW 2890
What can be included in Care Packages
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Be creative with donations while being mindful of Australia Post’s guidelines for the free delivery of care packages. Some suggestions are listed below, as are the general restrictions. It is recommended that any donated goods collected by EOs, and which are unable to be sent due to size or weight, be donated to local charities. Food • Anzac biscuits • Salted peanuts • Muesli bars • Instant Noodles • Lollies • Small tinned consumables • Other commercially manufactured and packaged foods that are non-perishable |
Toiletries • Deodorant (non aerosol) • Shaving cream (non aerosol) • Small bottle of talcum powder • Disposable razors • Shower Gel • Lip Balm |
National Gambling Reform 28 Nov 2012
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Friday, 16 November 2012
The Federal Member for Mitchell, Alex Hawke MP, is inviting local parents and schools to comment on a Coalition Discussion Paper about improved online safety for children.
Alex Hawke has been a long term advocate of cyber-safety issues. Mr Hawke has been Deputy Chair of the Parliament’s Joint Select Committee on Cyber-Safety since 2010 which authored the ‘High-Wire Act: Cyber-Safety and the Young’ which made 22 critical recommendations to the government on this issue.
“I know that many parents and school teachers that I speak to feel ill-equipped to deal with the challenge of protecting children from online dangers”, said Alex Hawke.
“When I was a kid, my parents were concerned about ‘stranger-danger’, now parents are worried about cyber-bullying, internet predators and children seeing things that are not appropriate for their age.
“The internet is a great thing. It’s revolutionised all our lives, yet it’s also a real challenge for many parents.
“Today’s children are immersed in the internet. Facebook, networking games, smart phones and iPads are all part of the typical daily life of a young person. I don’t think many parents realise how many internet connections their children have.
“Christmas is coming up – and most of the iPods, mini-iPads, x-boxes, wii’s, smart phones, tablets and laptops all can access the internet.
Alex Hawke said the release of the Coalition’s Discussion Paper on Enhancing Online Safety for Children provided a number of practical solutions to help parents and teachers. These included:
· Establishing a Children’s e-Safety Commissioner to take a national leadership role in online safety for children.
· Implementing Rapid Removal protocols with large social media outlets ensuring the rapid removal of material that is targeted at and likely to cause harm to an Australian child, through a co- operative regulatory scheme.
· Assisting parents and carers make informed decisions about devices such as smartphones and tablets, by establishing recognised branding indicating their suitability for younger children and teenagers.
· Providing greater support for schools through a stronger online safety component within the National Safe Schools Framework, and assisting with online safety resources for schools.
· Undertaking a national public education campaign to highlight online safety issues.
“Frankly, if there is something that is on social media that targets a child, then it should be ripped down as soon as it can.
“The real concern of the parents I talk to is the fear their children will be cyber-bullied. The worst thing about cyber-bullying, is that a child can’t escape it even at home.
Alex Hawke said he believed improving online safety for children was above politics and that it needed the combined effort of parents, carers, schools, police, governments and technology providers.
“This isn’t about limiting or restricting adult’s access to the internet, it’s about finding better ways to help protect our kids from the worst of the internet.
“This has been a great initiative from Tony Abbott and I do invite parents, schools, young people and the wider community to have their say and make a submission and contribute to the development of our final policy”.
“We have a lot of young families and young adults in the Mitchell electorate. I am calling on residents from the Mitchell electorate to have their say on this important issue”, concluded Alex Hawke.
To obtain a copy of the Coalition Discussion Paper on Enhancing Online Safety for Children visit www.alexhawke.com.au or contact the office on 9899 7211.