Photo Caption: Robyn and Mark Coulton with Jillian Kilby. Parliamentary sitting fortnight commences I spent last week at Parliament House in Canberra, marking the commencement of another parliamentary sitting fortnight. During the week I had the privilege of speaking to students and staff from St Joseph's School Mungindi and St Joseph's Warialda, as well as…
DetailsDrought Finance Taskforce A new Drought Finance Taskforce was announced last week, which will look at how the government and banks can further support farmers and small businesses. I’m pleased the communities in my electorate dealing with the drought continue to be a priority for the government through the expansion of the $1.8 billion Drought…
DetailsHoliday in your own backyard Australians are choosing to holiday in their own backyard and are spending record amounts, according to the latest National Visitor Survey. This is great news, and I’d like to see more people getting out and about in the Parkes electorate where there is a hugely diverse offering for visitors. With…
DetailsInnovation for irrigators I was pleased to attend an event near Narromine recently, to launch Australia’s biggest solar diesel hybrid pumping system, installed by Australian company, ReAqua. I was joined by NSW Minister for Primary Industries, Niall Blair, and Member for Dubbo, Troy Grant, as the pump was switched on for the very first time…
DetailsCut them up, not out The recent discovery of strawberry contamination is very disappointing. Like many Australians, I see this as senseless sabotage on a primary industry worth half a billion dollars. I’d like to remind readers that Australia has a strong record on food safety, and these incidents are rare and isolated. Nevertheless this…
DetailsA Royal visit for Invictus Games As many readers would now know, Dubbo is expecting a Royal visit next month. I’ve no doubt the city will be a hive of activity on 17 October as we welcome the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. In a speech in Parliament House last week, I spoke about their…
DetailsIndonesia trade deal I’m pleased that Australia and Indonesia have successfully concluded negotiations on the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA), deepening our economic and security cooperation with one of our major trading partners. Indonesia is one of the largest economies in the world, and building the economic ties between our nations will lead to…
DetailsAussie grown is best Demand for Aussie grown produce both domestically and in international markets is on the rise. The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resources Economics recently released its Food demand in Australia report to outline key trends. Australia’s food exports have increased by 6.5 per cent a year since 2009-10 to $39 billion…
DetailsMore sustainable higher education The Coalition Government’s plan for a more sustainable higher education student loans scheme has passed the Parliament. This means future generations will have access to study opportunities at Australia’s world-class institutions, which is good news for the student community right across the Parkes electorate. Under the changes, a student loan will…
DetailsSTEM grants open for inspiring students From creating robots to attending space camps and events like the International Science and Engineering Fair, students across the Parkes electorate now have the chance to live their science dreams. The latest round of the Australian Government’s Sponsorship Grants is now open to primary and high school students to…
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