In the News
Federal Member for Mitchell, the Hon Alex Hawke MP, said former part-pensioners in Mitchell will have their Pensioner Concession Card (PCC) reinstated from this week.
These former part-pensioners lost the card in January as a consequence of reforms to the pension assets test, which were designed to make the pension system more affordable and sustainable for the future.
“Those reforms provided increased pension for people with lower levels of assets, whilst some part-pensioners with high levels of assets lost access to their part-pensions,” Alex Hawke said.
Leukaemia and lymphoma patients in Mitchell will benefit from affordable access to a new medicine, with the Turnbull Government subsidising the drug.
Ibrutinib (sold as Imbruvica®) would normally cost $187,390 on average per course of treatment, putting it beyond the reach of most patients.
This $466 million listing on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) will save patients hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Federal Member for Mitchell, the Hon Alex Hawke MP, is encouraging local preschools to introduce pre-schoolers to a new language in 2018.
Applications are now open for participation in the Early Learning Languages Australia (ELLA) program which engages pre-schoolers with languages other than English through a series of fun, play-based apps, which are aligned to the Early Years Learning Framework.
Alex Hawke said this program is part of the Turnbull Government’s efforts to boost language learning backed by $15.7 million in funding.
Mr HAWKE (Mitchell—Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) (10:40): I rise today to mark Friday, 1 September, which was Jersey Day, a very important event sparked by a family in my electorate who came up with this initiative to raise awareness of the DonateLife Network as part of the Organ and Tissue Authority.
The Federal Member for Mitchell, the Hon Alex Hawke MP, is encouraging local community organisations in Mitchell to submit an expression of interest for funding under the Stronger Communities Programme.
The Stronger Communities Programme, announced in this year’s Budget, will deliver $150,000 for the electorate of Mitchell to fund capital projects which deliver social benefits.
Expressions of Interest are being sought for the grants. Examples of projects which may be funded under the programme include: