Ross Vasta Member for Bonner said he was pleased with the progress the new Government has made in the first 100 days since the election.  Monday 16 December marks 100 days since the 7 September election.

 “We are implementing the plan that we took to the election to build a strong, prosperous economy and a safe, secure Australia. 

 “I want to assure the people of Bonner that we are the Government that will scrap the Carbon Tax, end the waste, get the Budget back under control, stop the boats and build the infrastructure of the 21^st century. 

 “One of my first actions as Member for Bonner was to vote to scrap the Carbon Tax.  Scrapping the Carbon Tax will benefit an average family by $550 every year and will remove a $9 billion weight from the economy – creating more jobs and opportunities.  The bill to scrap the Carbon Tax is currently before the Senate.

 “We have also scrapped Labor’s $1.8 billion tax hit on cars as well as made self-education more affordable for people who are seeking to improve their skills and get ahead.

 “These are practical measures to help families and strengthen the economy.  Jobs and families are at the heart of the Coalition Government’s Plan. 

 “Our Plan is about reducing cost-of-living pressures for families, improving job security, encouraging small business and delivering better services – and that is what I am working for every day”.

Ross Vasta said he was pleased to report that Operation Sovereign Borders was working and that illegal boat arrivals had slowed dramatically.

 “Illegal boat arrivals have slowed by about 80 per cent and there has been real progress in securing the borders”.

 Ross Vasta said that after six years of record debt and deficits, the Government is also determined to bring the Budget back under control.

 “Interest on the debt is averaging $10 billion a year.  Governments, like households, must live within their means.  The $10 billion a year we spend on interest is money that could be used to improve services, cut debt, or cut taxes.

 “The Coalition has made a strong start during its first 100 days in government.  My promise is not to let up in 2014 and to keep working for Bonner In 2014, we will build the stronger, more prosperous country that we all want.”

The Department of Transport and Main Roads would like to advise that works to reconfigure the drop-off/pick-up zone within Mount Gravatt State School will be undertaken from:

• Monday 16 December 2013 to Tuesday 28 January 2014

 (Works will stop over the holiday and New Year period from Friday 20 December 2013 and resume Monday 6 January 2014)

Works will be carried out Monday to Friday between 8am and 5pm, and on some weekends in January 2014 between 7am and 5pm, weather and construction conditions permitting.

The reconfiguration works will include the installation of a u-turn facility and dedicated pedestrian footpath within the school grounds.

The project will ease car park congestion, make pick-ups and drop-offs easier for parents and improve safety for students.

The department will endeavour to minimise disruptions while delivering the works however construction noise, traffic control, reduced speed limits and minor delays may be experienced.

The department apologises for any inconvenience and appreciates your patience while these important works are carried out.

Small businesses and family enterprises in Bonner are one step closer to reduced red tape with the House of Representatives passing legislation to simplify payments under the Paid Parental Leave scheme.

“The small businesses in Bonner have been unnecessarily bearing the ‘pay clerk’ burden and costs of the extra workload, not to mention restructuring their payroll and accounting systems,” said Ross Vasta the member for Bonner.

“That’s why the Coalition is delivering on its commitment to ease administrative burdens on business by ensuring they no longer have to act as paymaster for the Commonwealth Government’s Paid Parental Leave Scheme unless they choose otherwise.

“Most employers have always been against this added and unnecessary red tape which was introduced by Labor and expressed their opposition during consultations before the scheme started.

“We have listened to the people of Bonner and are committed to getting it right and easing administrative burdens on business.

“We know how hard it can be for new parents to manage their budget after the birth of a child and will deliver a genuine scheme to give mothers six months leave based on their actual wage, rather than being limited to 18 weeks of payment at the national minimum wage.

“The Abbott Coalition Government is getting on with the job of building a stronger economy to help small business and families get ahead and this important move forms part of our commitment to reduce $1 billion of red tape by removing the carbon tax, improving productivity and growth.

“The Coalition will ensure small business has the time and resources to invest in their business success rather than doing the Government’s work,” said Ross Vasta the member for Bonner.

The launch of the Emergency+ smartphone app by the Australian Government.

When activated, the Emergency+ app provides users with their GPS reference which they can verbally provide to an emergency call taker to pinpoint their physical location.

The increase in mobile phone use by Australians means that more than 65 per cent of calls to Triple Zero are made from mobile phones.

Sometimes mobile phone users are not aware of their physical location – making it difficult for emergency call operators to accurately and quickly dispatch emergency services.

This app solves this problem by providing callers with the ability to verbally provide emergency call operators with their location information as determined by their smartphone’s GPS capability.

The app also contains the emergency contact numbers and a short explanation of when to call non-emergency numbers such as the Police Assistance Line (131 444) and the SES national number (132 500). This is to help members of the public dial the correct number and reduce the number of calls to the Triple Zero (000) service that should be directed to another service.

The Emergency+ app is available free of charge on iOS and Android devices through the Google Play store and the Apple App Store.

The development of the app was funded by the Australian Government through a National Emergency Management Project grant.

Ross Vasta today announced that Government, Catholic and Independent schools throughout Bonner will have the funding certainty they need as a result of the Coalition Government investing an additional $2.8 billion over the next four years.

“Labor left school funding in a mess,” said Ross Vasta.

“Labor’s funding model was not national and it was not fair. In his last act as Education Minister, Bill Shorten ripped $1.2 billion from schools in the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia.

“The Coalition Government is providing every school with the funding certainty they need. We are delivering on our election commitments and delivering more funding than Labor committed. 

“We will put back the $1.2 billion in additional funding over the next four years that Labor took away and we will cut red tape and stop Canberra interference in schools.

 [Senator/Member] said the Government will also honour funding promised to non-government representative bodies for four years, including $55 million to Catholic Education Commissions and $110 million to the Association of Independent Schools.

“This is great news for parents and students in Bonner who were at danger of being short changed by Labor’s funding mess,” [he/she said].