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Next step in ice fight

AN interim report from the National Ice Taskforce which has been presented to the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) by the Prime Minister has identified six key areas which need attention in the fight against the drug scourge.These are welcome findings, and they are largely those which were raised at the two Ice Forums I conducted in Mackay and Bowen last month.The difficulties faced by family members battling to help someone who has fallen prey to the addiction, and the ease of access to a drug which has such devastating effects. were two things which stood out for me.

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Calling on our allies to seal a sweet deal

I'M urging our allies on many battlefields to once again recognise the historically strong relationship between Australia and the United States and come up with a sweet deal for sugar in the US Trans Pacific Partnership.Negotiators head to Hawaii next week for what could be the final round of talks, and we need a strengthened sugar trading relationship.Queensland sugar cane growers will be understandably devastated if we do not see an outcome of a commercially significant agreement on sugar with the US.

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No support for new taxes

PEOPLE don’t want a hip-pocket hit; they want to see governments live within their means.State premiers have gathered in Sydney today for a Council of Australian Governments (COAG) retreat.Some premiers are making noises about raising the GST, while others are suggested a hip-pocket hit by raising the Medicare levy.I’m opposed to both because people want governments to live within their means and stop wasteful spending.

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New controls for Aussie-made

IMPORTING ingredients and simply slicing them here will no longer qualify as Australian-made.The Liberal National Government has approved a new system for Country of Origin labelling, which should start to appear on supermarket shelves later this year.These changes are good news for Australian jobs and Australian farmers because shoppers will have better information at their fingertips.Consumers will be able to make a quick comparison of products on the shelves and digital options are also being developed so consumers who want more detailed information can get it.

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Get moving on Mackay Ring Road

AS 600 jobs wait in the wings, I'm calling on the State Main Roads Minister to pull out all stops to build the Mackay Ring Road.The Federal Government had supplied most of the money needed to execute Stage One of the $565 million Stage One project, but it is now up to Minister Mark Bailey to stump up with the resources to get it happening.Our city is in dire need of major projects like the Mackay Ring Road to deliver jobs and stimulate our economy.And while the Abbott Government has done its part to help with the process, I’m pushing for some serious action at the State level.

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Businesses invest in staff

A CANNONVALE business will be able to invest in training their staff thanks to a $9000 Federal Government Industry Skills Fund (ISF) grant, announced by the Assistant Minister for Education and Training, Senator Simon Birmingham.I caught up with Paul Carmichael, right, the owner of Airlie Glass and Aluminium, today to congratulate him as well as his staff Kevin Scott and Cathy Reents.Paul's business will benefit from more than $9,000 through the Government’s ISF which will support staff members in completing a Certificate IV in Glass and Glazing.

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Massive boost to funds to fix roads

LOCAL roads and streets across the region have received a major boost with more than $13 million in extra funding being made available to our councils for vital road upgrades through the Roads to Recovery Programme over the next two years.The extra money will flow as a result of the passage through Federal Parliament of the fuel excise indexation legislation.This is a huge additional boost to Mackay Regional Council, Whitsunday Regional Council and the Burdekin Shire Council and if more roadworks can be undertaken, more jobs can be created.

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Bob Brown running scared on green tax deductibility

FORMER Greens leader Bob Brown should demonstrate he has the courage to stand by his convictions in relation to green groups deserving tax deductibility status, rather than hiding from a parliamentary inquiry.Mr Brown stated today that he was “reconsidering appearing before the parliamentary inquiry into tax-deductibility” which will be held in Hobart on Tuesday.It seems that Bob Brown is running scared, which makes me think ‘what has the green movement got to hide?’

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South Pacific alliance aids superyacht industry

A NEW alliance to promote superyachting in the South Pacific region will help the Whitsundays create more jobs as it becomes established as a destination. South Pacific Superyachting, a collaboration between Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, and Fiji, aims to double both the number of superyachts that currently visit the South Pacific annually, and the number of days they spend in the region by 2018.

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Centre to cater for more medicos

A plan to create an expanded medical facility in Mackay’s city centre will provide space for teaching medical students and GPs.I congratulate One Stop Medical Centre’s owner Dr Rachel Bidgood, who has been successful in her application for a Rural and Regional Teaching Infrastructure Grant (RRTIG).This $300,000 of Federal Government funding will ultimately provide better health outcomes for the people of Mackay.Dr Bidgood plans an extension consisting of five consultation rooms, a training room, library, treatment room and two rooms for visiting specialists.

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Farmer friendly business environment

6 July 2015: Through the Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper, the Australian Government released a series of measures designed to strengthen the contribution of agriculture to the national economy by providing a better business environment for farmers. These initiatives will play a critical role in developing a better business environment for agriculture by increasing farmgate returns, improving risk management and encouraging investment.

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