Photo caption: Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton (centre) met with Dr Damian Spruce and Adair O’Brien from Caritas Australia to get an update on the humanitarian crisis taking place in Gaza. Flawed housing bill Last week I spoke in Parliament in opposition to Labor’s Help to Buy Bill, which will allow first home buyers…
Photo caption: Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton met with Narromine Lions Club members to check out the completed restoration of the historic turntable precinct. Big week back on the road I was happy to be back out on the road last week after a few weeks in Canberra. My favourite part of the job…
Photo caption: Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton is concerned Labor’s proposed Vehicle Efficiency Standard will add thousands of dollars to the cost of cars that regional Australians drive. Further Inland Rail uncertainty Last week I was terribly disheartened to hear that there are currently no plans to continue work on the Inland Rail north…
Photo: Member for Parkes Mark Coulton speaks in the House of Representatives about his concerns for changes to the design of the Wilcannia weir. Parliament returns for 2024 Last week marked the return of Parliament for 2024. While the first sitting week of the year was only three days, there was still plenty to do…
Flooding in the north-west Tropical cyclone Kirrily has resulted in large storms across north-western NSW, and Lightning Ridge has been one area of the electorate hit particularly hard by heavy rainfall. While this has benefited some, it has also caused significant damage to homes and businesses. My thoughts are with constituents who have withstood the…
Photo caption: Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton and Robyn Coulton with then Prime Minister Scott Morrison at Government House Farewelling Scott Morrison Scott Morrison has recently announced that he will retire from politics after more than 16 years as a Federal Member of Parliament. I was elected on the same day 16 years ago…
Photo caption: Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton on his farm at Warialda Looking forward to Australia Day A very Happy New Year to everyone in the Parkes electorate! I enjoyed spending time with family and my cattle over the break and was glad to see some much-needed rainfall. My hope is that 2024 brings…
Challenges in aged care In the past week I was able to visit aged care facilities in Broken Hill, Gilgandra and Coonamble to discuss the challenges facing aged care in these towns. One of the major challenges for regional aged care facilities remains the ability to source the required staff, which can become very expensive…
Support for aged care in Broken Hill After months of uncertainty, I’m pleased that Broken Hill’s sole aged care facility Southern Cross Care is set to receive $4.4 million in Federal funding. I’ve been in discussion with representatives from Southern Cross Care and the office of the Minister for Aged Care many times over recent…
Buybacks legislated On Thursday 30 November amendments to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan passed the Parliament, legislating uncapped water buybacks into Federal water management policy. While Minister Plibersek and Senator Wong celebrated the development, it was a dark day for agricultural communities in the Murray-Darling Basin, and for Australia as a whole. This legislation cannot and…