In the News
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Thursday, 28 July 2011
Know someone who makes you proud to be an Australian? Now is the time to nominate them for the Australian of the Year Awards, said the Federal Member for Mitchell, Alex Hawke MP.
“The Australian of the Year Awards acknowledges the great achievements of individuals in our community,” Mr Hawke said.
“If there is someone you know in the community, a family member, a friend or someone famous who inspires you, nominate them today.
“This is the chance for you to show your appreciation by nominating that special person who you believe is a great role model in our community.”
All nominees are considered and one nomination is all it takes for their efforts to be recognised for the Australian of the Year Award.
Awards are presented in four categories: the Australian of the Year Award, Australia’s Local Hero Award, Young Australian of the Year Award (ages 16 to 30) and the Senior Australian of the Year Award (aged 60 years or older).
Nominations close midnight Wednesday 31 August 2011.
For more information or to make a nomination please go to: australianoftheyear.org.au or call 1300 655 193.
Thursday, 14 July 2011
The Gillard Government’s determination to introduce a Carbon Tax has been met with anger and concern in our local community, said the Federal Member for Mitchell, Alex Hawke.
Mr Hawke said he had spoken with many local families who were anxious about how they would now pay for increases in the price of electricity, food, and other household expenses.
“The overwhelming message I hear from our community is that the Carbon Tax will significantly impact on household budgets,” Mr Hawke said.
“Many local residents are already struggling with increasing costs, in particular, electricity prices which surged under ten years of New South Wales Labor Government. There is real anxiety in our community about the consequences of this Carbon Tax.
“We all understand the importance of protecting and preserving our precious environment. But what was announced by the Gillard Government this week was more about imposing a new tax than delivering an environmental benefit.
“The Gillard Government seems unwilling to either tell us, or unsure to what extent their Carbon Tax will impact on future global temperatures. Yet we have to pay.”
Mr Hawke said the Government’s own explanation of the Carbon Tax was contributing to anxiety in our community, and he had also spoken with numerous local residents who had been unable to estimate the impact the Carbon Tax will have on their household budgets.
“The Government was quick to promote the taxpayer-funded Clean Energy Future website and encouraged people to find out the impact of the Carbon Tax,” Mr Hawke said. “But what many local residents have told me is that the ‘compensation’ falls far short of what this Tax will cost.
“We should be in no doubt, many local residents will be worse off under this Tax.
“The taxpayer-funded Clean Energy Future website also had a flaw and many local residents had been unable to estimate the impact of the Gillard Government’s Tax. This failure only leads to greater anxiety and frustration for local residents worried about the impact of this new Tax.
“Prime Minister Gillard must listen to the concerns of our community. She must abandon this Carbon tax, a tax that will hurt many local families, without any tangible benefit for the environment,” Mr Hawke said.
Thursday, 14 July 2011
Households in the Mitchell community will be forced to pay around $120 more a year for groceries, thanks to Labor’s toxic Carbon Tax, said the Federal Member for Mitchell, Alex Hawke.
“The Australian Food and Grocery Council estimates that the Carbon Tax will add $120 a year to household grocery bills – that’s three times Labor’s estimate of $40,” Mr Hawke said.
“Treasury says that food prices will rise less than one percent under the Carbon Tax, but the Treasurer has been unable to explain by how much a single can of tomatoes will increase.
“Food prices have already increased five percent in the first nine months of the Gillard Government, which has done nothing to cushion households from the spiraling cost of living.
“Australian Food and Grocery Council boss Kate Carnell says that Treasury’s estimate does not stack up to business reality – the cost of the Carbon Tax will inevitably be passed on to consumers.”
Mr Hawke said the Carbon Tax will cascade down all of the supply chain, from farming to food processing, from transport to storage, from refrigeration to lighting.
“Food retailers and restaurants in the Hills cannot control the prices charged by their suppliers, or avoid paying more for electricity,” Mr Hawke said.
“Higher food prices are just one of many cost increases that Labor’s Carbon Tax will impose on local households; its own figures show that households get slugged $515 a year in their cost of living.
“While the carbon price will start at $23 a tonne, after three years it will float with the market and go up and up and up. Labor’s own modeling reveals that the carbon price will increase to $37 a tonne in 2020 and over $350 a tonne in 2050.”
Thursday, 14 July 2011
Labor’s Carbon Tax will hurt homeowners, renters, builders and manufacturers in the Hills who are already struggling under Labor’s financial mismanagement and the worsening housing shortage, said the Federal Member for Mitchell, Alex Hawke MP.
“Julia Gillard’s $23-per-tonne Carbon Tax will add at least $5,000 to the cost of building an average new home and this is expected to flow on to the cost of existing homes,” Mr Hawke said.
“Homeowners in the Hills are already facing higher electricity costs, gas bills, and water rates while rents are also rising well above inflation.
“With a national housing shortage of 202,400 homes and low levels of housing affordability, the last thing we need is a hike in the cost of construction and development that will result in higher mortgage repayments and higher rents.
“Builders already have to meet strict energy efficiency requirements. The industry does not need another impost, especially one that will provide no environmental gain.”
Mr Hawke said that the housing sector is dominated by small sub-contractors who will not receive any compensation under the Carbon Tax.
“Self employed people are effectively being punished by this Carbon tax,” Mr Hawke said. “They are the big losers out of Julia Gillard’s wealth redistribution.
“The Carbon Tax will also cost jobs in the Australian building product manufacturing sector, which will struggle to compete with similar producers in countries with no carbon tax. Building products like kitchen cabinets and benchtops, windows and doors will all increase in price, for no environmental gain.
“The housing sector in is just another victim of Julia Gillard’s ‘not under the Government I lead’ Carbon Tax,” Mr Hawke said.