Taking the office to you

When I was elected to the Federal Parliament in September 2008, I promised to introduce a ‘Mobile Electorate Office’ to move around the electorate, listening to people about the issues concerning them.

I believe it is absolutely crucial that I am accessible to all of my constituents, no matter where they live. I have delivered this promise.

If re-elected, I will continue to regularly travel around Mayo, holding various street corner meetings to discuss any issues affecting locals. It is vital that I am aware of problems within the electorate so that I can best represent the people of Mayo both at a local level, and in Canberra.

Since being elected, I have held Mobile Electorate Offices at Williamstown, Kingscote, Strathalbyn, Stirling, Victor Harbor, Goolwa, Lobethal, Aberfoyle Park, Inglewood, Macclesfield, Yankalilla, Nairne, Norton Summit, Mount Pleasant, Birdwood, Mount Compass, Kangarilla, Mount Barker and Woodside.

Some of the issues people have raised with me while out and about in Mayo include: digital television services in Yankalilla and Gumeracha, inappropriate development in Mount Barker, road safety and the need to eliminate dangerous black spots, lack of broadband infrastructure, the need for a freight equalisation scheme for Kangaroo Island and the deteriorating health of the Murray-Darling Basin and the Lower Lakes.

People also voice their concerns to me about the performance of the Federal Labor Government. They have been raising concerns with me about the failure of the insulation programme, the massive amounts of money wasted on the school halls programme and the damage that has been inflicted on the economy through the disastrous mining tax. Unfortunately this Federal Labor Government has shown itself to be no better than the State Labor Governments to which it is so closely related.

It has to be remembered that Julia Gillard has been there while every one of these decisions was made. The clown may change, but it remains the same Labor circus. So while the cost of living pressures have risen on Australian families, Labor has governed in their own political interest, not the national interest. This, as a result, has made the future of all Australians more uncertain and more unstable.

How can we move forward with a government which remains dominated by the same failed, incompetent group that produced the waste, mismanagement and debt of the last three years?

The Liberal Party offers the Australian public a genuine alternative with a plan for real action on debt, the management of the Murray Darling Basin, mental health and border protection.

Rest assured, I will keep fighting for our community.