For further details about the event please contact: (07) 3308 6333

National Reconciliation Week is the time to build better relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians-and a time to come together to acknowledge the enormous contributions that Australia’s First Peoples have made to shape our nation.

Dreamtime at the ‘G’
in 2005 Essendon Football Club joined with the AFL, Richmond Football Club, the MCC and The Long Walk to establish the annual ‘Dreamtime at the ‘G’ game, during the AFL’s Indigenous round.

National Sorry Day
National Sorry Day is held on 26 May each year to acknowledge and recognise members of the stole generations.

For more information and ways to get involved visit: www.reconciliation.org.au 

 On 2 June 2013 the inaugural MT GRAVATT CHALLENGE hosted by the Rotary Club of Mt Gravatt will be held, bringing with it the opportunity for members of the community to challenge themselves against the Mountain and support a great cause at the same time.

The walking/jogging or running course starts at the base of Mount Gravatt Mountain on Shire Road, Mt Gravatt, and rises 132 metres over a distance of 1.5 kilometres of beautiful bushland scenery. Once you reach the summit you will be rewarded with a fantastic vista of Brisbane city looking north to the Glasshouse mountains, entertainment, prizes and if you wish, you can enjoy a coffee and a light meal at the Echidna Magic Cafe.

 When you’re ready you will need to make your way back down the mountain. This will be a great community event as there will be something for everyone. Consider a team entry to compete within your company or with another company, or simply to have some fun walking with friends. Families may enter as a group and enjoy some time together. What a great opportunity to challenge yourself against the Mountain. And, especially for dog lovers, you can bring and walk your dog up the mountain too!

This is a fun, local event that will:

• – Enhance and build partnerships in the local community
• – increase community awareness Rotary International
• – Promote healthy activity for all members of the community
• – Support the local branch of Meals on Wheels.
• – For further Information please contact Tony South:

Ph: 07 3272 1417

Email: tsouth@pbf.asn.au

The Coalition will help Bonner families, households, retirees and pensioners get ahead and plan their futures with confidence by scrapping the carbon tax as well as ensuring that tax cuts and fortnightly pension and benefit increases are kept.

Ross Vasta, Member for Bonner said the announcement by Tony Abbott that the Coalition will keep income tax cuts and fortnightly pension and benefit increases without a carbon tax is good news for Bonner families.

“We can keep tax cuts and pension and benefit increases without a carbon tax, because we’ve made the responsible savings and have a strong plan for managing Australia’s Budget.

“We’ve ensured this promise is fully paid for so we don’t add pressures to Labor’s debt and deficits and at the same time, we’ve helped families, pensioners and small businesses by removing the cost of the carbon tax from power bills and rising prices.

“We’ll also ensure households get the full benefit of the abolition of the carbon tax by requiring the ACCC to make sure companies do the right thing.

Ross Vasta said that since the election of the Rudd/Gillard Government average electricity prices had risen by 94% and gas prices by 62%.

“When I talk with people at shopping centres and sporting fields they tell me they are under pressure. 

Ross Vasta said removing the carbon tax will help household budgets, improve the competitive position of Australian businesses and make Australian jobs more secure. 

“We cannot undo all of the damage of Labor’s economic vandalism overnight but you know we can and will do it, because we’ve done it before and we’ve done the hard work on our Plan to do it again.

“Everything we do is about building a stronger economy.  A stronger economy is the key to almost everything we wish for as a nation: it means more jobs, higher wages, greater government revenue, better services and, ultimately, stronger and more cohesive communities.  

Ross Vasta said the coming election will provide electors in Bonner with a stark choice: between three more years of broken promises, nasty surprises and weak excuses from Labor, or the experienced Coalition team with a Plan to build a strong, prosperous economy and a safe, secure Australia.

Member for Bonner encourages everyone to make Palliative Care their business in 2013.

National Palliative Care Week is from 19 May to 25 May 2013 and during this period Palliative Care Australia wants to remind the community about the importance of palliative care with a special focus towards asking everyone to think about how they can make it their own business.

The current Senior Australian of the Year is Professor Ian Maddocks AM, who as an internationally recognised palliative care specialist, has been advocating for improved care for the dying since the 1980’s.

“Last year, the Senate Community Affairs Committee undertook a major inquiry into palliative care, which highlighted that palliative care will become an even more important component of aged care into the future”, said Member

“Amongst many of the issues raised, it became very clear in this inquiry that many people prefer to pass away at home.”

“As we look at aged care reform, we need to keep in mind ways that can appropriately respect the desire of those who wish to die at home in dignity,” said Member

“Palliative care patients deserve respect and dignity, and as a nation, we should be affording support to such people and their families,” said Member

For further information on National Palliative Care Week visit http://www.palliativecare.org.au/NationalPalliativeCareWeek.aspx

This year’s Budget delivers more debt, more deficits, more taxes, more broken promises and more uncertainty said Ross Vasta Member for Bonner.

“At a time when Australians are desperately seeking stable and competent economic management, the Budget just delivers more chaos, debt and spin”, said Ross Vasta.

“For Bonner families, this Budget does nothing to help deal with cost of living pressures, economic uncertainty and poor services.

“Labor has again broken its word to the people of Bonner.  They promised no carbon tax and a surplus. Instead we got a carbon tax, record deficits and in this Budget, Labor scrapped tax cuts, family payments and the baby bonus.

“Wayne Swan said this Budget was about “jobs and growth” but the Budget actually forecasts an increase in unemployment (up to 5.75%) and lower growth (down to 2.75%). 

This Budget means less jobs and slower growth.

Ross Vasta said key areas of concern in the Budget include:

–  total gross debt to breach the $300 billion debt ceiling in coming years;

–  no credible path back to surplus;

–  at least a $4.7 billion blowout in the management of Australia’s borders since  
    last year’s Budget;

–  new borrowings of $49 million every single day, and

–  more than $25 billion in higher taxes over the next four years – with 99% of 
    these new taxes starting after the next election.

“Families and businesses have to live within their means, but this government doesn’t. 

Over the last 5 years, the Gillard Government has spent $191 billion more than it has raised.

“Only the Coalition has the Plan, experience and discipline to return the Budget to sustainable surpluses, reduce debt and provide real support to Australian families to help them get ahead again.

Ross Vasta said Tony Abbott’s Budget Reply to be delivered on Thursday night would provide more details of the Coalition’s Real Solutions Plan that will build a strong, prosperous economy and a safe, secure Australia.

This week is National Volunteers Week. It is a way to thank volunteers who freely give their time and energy helping in their communities.

“Volunteers are the backbone of many organisations and our communities would not be the same without them,” Ross Vasta said.

Whether it be the volunteer coach for a kids sporting team, or the person who delivers meals on wheels to the elderly, all Australians benefit from the work of volunteers.

The theme for National Volunteer Week 2013 is “Thanks a Million”. Australians are encouraged to visit Volunteering Australia’s Facebook and Twitter pages to post their own messages of thanks to Australia’s 6.1 million volunteers and to download signs from the National Volunteer Week web page to print off and display around their workplace.

“Australians should do what they can to thank and support volunteers and to become volunteers themselves”.

Everyone has something to offer as a volunteer, and every contribution, no matter how big or small, is extremely valuable.

For further information on National Volunteer Week visit:
www.volunteeringaustralia.org.

This community event will have stations set up around the room on key topics of interest including a New paralell Runway, airport development, flight paths, aircraft noise, airport operations and more.

This event is on Wednesday 22nd May from 6pm-8pm.
To be held at Murarrie Community Hall- 10 Queensport road south, Murarrie.

For further information please visit the website: www.bne.com.au