Supporting Early Release of Superannuation Benefits on Compassionate Grounds The Nationals-Liberal Government has released for consultation the exposure draft regulations on the transfer of the early release of superannuation benefits on compassionate grounds to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). These regulations provide the necessary administrative changes to reflect the transfer of responsibility for early release…
Realtime payments, any hour, any day of the week Australians will now be able to make instant electronic payments at any time of the day, with the launch of the New Payments Platform (NPP). The Nationals-Liberal Government welcomed the launch of the new platform, which is set to revolutionise the payments process for millions of…
New NBN pricing delivering better broadband for consumers New wholesale pricing on the National Broadband Network is delivering a better broadband experience for consumers, according to the ACCC’s latest Wholesale Market Indicators report. The report shows the introduction of new wholesale pricing has resulted in a substantial 37 per cent boost to the amount of…
Getting kids in the Electorate of Parkes back to school The Nationals-Liberal Government is focusing on improving school attendance across remote communities. Getting an education is not only the first step in ensuring that our young people do not end up in the criminal justice system, but also gives students a great platform to pursue further studies and…
Lowest private health insurance premium change in 17 years The Nationals-Liberal Government’s reforms to take the pressure off private health insurance will deliver the lowest annual premium change in almost two decades. Health funds will have average weighted premium increases of 3.95 per cent from 1 April, 2018. This is the lowest increase since 2001.…
Continuing rollout of Local Drug Action Teams across Australia The Nationals-Liberal Government is continuing to take action to combat the scourge of ice and other illicit drugs with more Local Drug Action Teams set to rollout across Australia. Applications are now open for the third round of the Local Drug Action Team (LDAT) program, which…
$110 million additional investment in child and youth mental health The Coalition Government is continuing to build on record levels of investment in mental health services with an additional $110 million to extend and expand mental health programs for young Australians. We know that around four million Australians experience a mental health condition every year.…
2017 has certainly been an interesting time in Australian politics. However, away from the spotlight of Canberra the work of the Government continues. Last month I celebrated my ten years as the Member for Parkes. The Parkes Electorate is now nearly four times larger than it was at the 2007 election. Over this period of…
Nationals welcome Banking Royal Commission The Federal Nationals have welcomed the Prime Minister’s announcement of a Royal Commission into banks and financial services. This comprehensive inquiry became necessary to restore trust and confidence in Australia’s banking and financial sector following years of concerns, particularly in rural and regional communities, about alleged misconduct and unethical behaviour…
Delivering faster payments for small business The Nationals-Liberal Government will ensure small businesses providing goods and services to the Government will receive faster payments. The Government will now be required to pay invoices for contracts worth up to $1 million within 20 calendar days, an improvement from the current policy of 30 days. This will…