In the News
Wednesday, 8 August 2012
The Federal Member for Mitchell, Alex Hawke MP, said Julia Gillard’s attempt at blaming others for surging electricity prices was laughable given that she introduced the world’s biggest carbon tax only weeks ago.
“The electricity bills are starting to arrive throughout Mitchell and families and businesses are starting to experience ‘bill shock’ from Julia Gillard’s carbon tax, said Alex Hawke.
“Since the Rudd-Gillard government was first elected, electricity prices have risen by a staggering 60%.
“Julia Gillard has shown no interest in household prices during the past five years and now, after introducing the world’s biggest carbon tax, she wants the people of Mitchell to believe she understands what households and businesses are facing.
“How can the Prime Minister who said “there will be no carbon tax under the government I lead” be believed when it comes to claims about electricity prices now?
“The carbon tax is an electricity tax, it’s a gas tax and a tax on the essentials of life.
“Five weeks after introducing this tax, it’s simply not good enough for Julia Gillard to point the finger elsewhere.
Alex Hawke said Julia Gillard had designed a carbon tax that would go up and up – putting more pressure on electricity prices with every year.
“The carbon tax is now $23 a tonne, it will rise to $37 a tonne by 2020 and $350 a tonne by 2050. According to the government’s own figures, the carbon tax will wipe a cumulative one trillion dollars from Australia’s GDP by 2050 – that’s like closing down the country for a year.
“The best way to tackle rising electricity prices is to scrap the carbon tax. Only the Coalition has a plan to scrap the carbon tax and that plan starts on day one of a Coalition Government.
“In addition to carbon tax price pressures, Julia Gillard’s own electricity regulator, the Australian Energy Regulator, had approved all electricity network price rises over recent years.
“The Rudd-Gillard Government has been in office for five years and during that time they have approved all electricity network price increases and introduced the world’s biggest carbon tax.
“When it comes to electricity prices, the culprit for rising electricity prices is Julia Gillard and her government,” concluded Alex Hawke.
Thursday, 2 August 2012
Federal Member for Mitchell, Alex Hawke MP and Senator Arthur Sinodinos AO, Chairman of the Coalition Small Business and Deregulation Taskforce, today met with 70 local businesses to discuss red tape reduction and deregulation policy.
Joining Arthur Sinodinos and Alex Hawke were a local business panel including Tony Eades, Chairman of the Sydney Hills Business Chamber, Mark Halford, owner/operator of Macy Pty Ltd and David Elliott MP, Chair of the NSW Committee on Economic Development, to discuss and articulate the views of local businesses.
“This meeting was an excellent opportunity for local business men and women to express their views and concerns directly with a person who will be around the Cabinet table in a future Liberal Government”, Alex Hawke said.
“Under the Rudd/ Gillard governments there have been over 18,000 new regulations affecting small business with the removal of just 80”.
“A Liberal Government will be focussed on red tape reduction and deregulation for small business from day one.” Alex Hawke said
“These consultative forums are important for ‘time poor’ business men and women to express their concerns and to get answer’s quickly. Issues raised included online retailers paying the GST, workers compensation, red tape reduction and how to make it easier for people to start their own business.
“These forums are a great opportunity for the Coalition to hear the concerns of local businesses and develop policy to quickly reduce the burden on our small businesses” said Arthur Sinodinos.
“Small business is the lifeblood of the Australian community and I am a passionate advocate to ensure that small businesses get better treatment from Government,” concluded Alex Hawke.
Earlier this year the Coalition Leader Tony Abbott established a Deregulation Taskforce to answer the call from the small business sector to address burdens currently being experienced by poorly designed regulation.
The Coalition Taskforce will hand down its final report in August 2012.
Thursday, 2 August 2012
Federal Member for Mitchell, Alex Hawke MP, held a presentation ceremony for 8 young Australians from Mitchell, who are winners of the Australian Student Prize for 2011.
The Australian Student Prize is a highly prestigious inaugural award programme that began in 1991 and only 500 prizes are awarded each year, which includes $2,000 to assist the students to pursue their future aspirations.
“Winners of these prizes are of the highest academic calibre and I am proud of this recognition of academic achievement, Alex Hawke said.
The 2011 winners are: Sanjitha Fernando, Jimmy Wei Jian Huang, Yu Ying Shirley Huang, Andrew Lee, Andrew Li, Michael Lin, Edward Ao Yu Lo-Cao and Babitha Selvananthan.
“It gave me great pleasure to present the successful applicants with their certificates and to hear about their hopes for the future,” Alex Hawke concluded.
Wednesday 4 July 2012
“The Federal Member for Mitchell, Alex Hawke MP, welcomes the Defence Housing’s development application at North Kellyville, which will provide new homes for Sydney-based Defence personnel, particularly those working at Richmond RAAF Base.
“North Kellyville is ideally located around 20 kilometres from the Richmond RAAF Base, close to schools, amenities and the Rouse Hill Town Centre, said Alex Hawke.
The proposal will provide 65 dwellings at Kellyville, with 34 to be retained for Defence personnel and the remainder to be sold on the private market. Defence Housing Australia proposes to commence construction in April 2013 and complete the dwellings by December 2014.
“Our community has a proud record of hosting defence housing and I welcome these additional service personnel, Alex Hawke said.
“The housing master plan has been referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works. Submissions to the inquiry close on Tuesday, 31 July 2012. Full details on the proposal are available on www.aph.gov.au/pwc.
“The Committee will also be holding a public hearing on the proposed works in Sydney on 8 August 2012. Venue and times are yet to be finalised, to register your interest please contact my office on 9899 7211,” concluded Alex Hawke.
Thursday, 28 June 2012
“The world’s biggest Carbon Tax commenced 1 July 2012 and the affects of this tax will be felt to the already ‘stretched budgets’ of all Australians, said the Federal Member for Mitchell, Alex Hawke MP.
The Carbon Tax is set at $23 at tonne, increasing each year going up to $29 by 2015-16 according to the government’s own Budget figures.
“Most people will pay the Carbon Tax in their electricity and gas bills”. Alex Hawke said.
“The government’s own modelling highlights that the tax will immediately cause electricity prices to jump 10% compared with a “no carbon tax’ world. The US, Canada, India, China and Japan have all made it clear they are not moving to a broad based Carbon Tax model like Australia’s.
In May, the Federal Member for Parramatta, Julie Owens MP, hosted the Climate Commission travelling road show at Parramatta where Professor Tim Flannery told the residents of Western Sydney that more people will die under climate change; ‘We know mortality goes up in heatwaves and mental health complaints would rise and severe weather events would, in particular, target residents of Western Sydney’.
“Tim Flannery, Climate Commissioner also told the Australian Medical Association fillings in teeth should be yanked before cremation to stop mercury getting into the ocean.
“The Gillard government are siding with these scaremongering tactics of the Climate Commission in their bid to justify the introduction of a Carbon Tax, said Alex Hawke.
“Five days before the last election, Julia Gillard promised “there will be no carbon tax under the government I lead”. She has broken her word and everyone is paying the price.
“The next election will be a referendum on the Carbon Tax. If elected, the Coalition will repeal the legislation and scrap the Carbon Tax.
“I am confident the people of North West Sydney have seen through the smoke and mirrors of this government and will get to have their say at the next election on this toxic tax based on a lie” concluded Alex Hawke.