Last Monday I had the pleasure of hosting the Minister for Aged Care in Bonner. There were many important visits and announcements on the day. I wanted to focus on two events that were particularly significant for my older constituents.

The first event was a Seniors Forum I hosted in Mt Gravatt. It was another great turnout: over 70 Bonner locals attended!

The Minister’s news of our record $5 billion investment in aged care, and the extra 20,000 home care places we’re providing, was very well received. Wishart local Muriel Mitchell said she learned a lot of useful information about residential and home care. She feels a lot more confident about her options to look after her husband at home for longer.

Carindale local Paul Williams brought his father Victor along to hear what the Minister had to say. They appreciated the Minister’s passion for finding new ways to improve aged care services. They also appreciated the range of stallholders at the forum, which included My Aged Care and Brisbane South PHN.

The Minister also spoke about how we’re investing over $100 million in mental health funding for older Australians. This is the largest ever single increase to mental health funding for older Australians. I’m proud to be part of a Government that is delivering for older residents in Bonner.

The second event was a meeting with a local Wynnum group that is doing great things for people living with dementia. The Dementia Awareness Advocacy Team is a wonderful group of people that is striving for a more dementia friendly community.

It advocates for people living with dementia and their care partners. It also aims to raise awareness of dementia and reduce the stigma and stereotyping of this condition.

The team provides dementia awareness training that has benefitted many local businesses, including my own office. This training gives people a thorough understanding of what dementia is and how to relate to people living with dementia. It’s a fantastic initiative and I thank them for their great work.

I’m also pleased to see $5.3 million in the Budget for dementia innovation which will benefit people living with dementia.

I thank the Minister again for his visit and speaking with my senior constituents about their experiences with aged care and mental health support.

The Turnbull Government has delivered income tax relief for all Australian workers.

In passing our Personal Income Tax plan through the Parliament, the Government has ensured all Australians paying tax will be better off. They will be paying less tax, and will be rewarded for their hard work both now and into the future, Federal Member for Bonner Ross Vasta said today.

“Taxes in Australia will now be lower, fairer and simpler. Over 66,500 people and their families in my electorate of Bonner will benefit from tax relief of up to $530 in 2018-19,” Mr Vasta said.

“This is a win for all working Australians who want to get ahead. You will have the certainty that when you earn more, get a pay rise or work more hours, you won’t face ever-increasing tax rates.”

“Under our plan, 94 per cent of Australian workers will not face higher marginal tax rate of more than 32.5c in the dollar, with our first priority low and middle income earners because we understand the benefits of a stronger economy have not yet flowed to all.”

More information on the legislated Personal Income Tax Plan is available at https://www.budget.gov.au/2018-19/content/factsheets/7-pitp.html.