A duplication of the Linkfield Road overpass will bust congestion and improve safety at a notorious bottleneck in Brisbane’s north

The overpass currently forces vehicles to merge from two lanes to one before the Gympie Arterial Road on-ramp, frustrating thousands of motorists on a daily basis.

Federal LNP Member for Petrie Luke Howarth and Federal LNP Member for Dickson Peter Dutton have been fighting for funding to bring the duplication to fruition and have received thousands of signatures to a petition in support of the upgrade.

Today the Liberal and Nationals Government announced a commitment of up to $100 million to help fund 80 per cent of the works.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the upgrade would make sure that local motorists aren’t stuck in traffic while doing the school run and traveling to and from work.

“We are focused on congestion busting upgrades which get people out of traffic so that they can spend more time with their families in the morning and at night,” the Prime Minister said.

“This upgrade has long been called for by local residents and they have been extremely well supported by their Federal LNP Members in Luke Howarth and Peter Dutton.

“Luke and Peter have been campaigning for this critical upgrade for months and because of our efforts to build a stronger economy we are able to back them in.

“Now it’s up to the Queensland Labor Government to get on-board so work can start as soon as possible.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack said the upgrade would improve safety in the area.

“We know the accident and near-miss rate at the northbound highway connection to the Gympie Arterial Road is a major issue,” Mr McCormack said.

“This upgrade will create a safer overpass and bust the congestion that motorists endure was they merge from two lanes into one.”

Federal LNP Member for Petrie Luke Howarth said the upgrade would be welcomed by motorists who regularly travel on the overpass.

“This upgrade will remove a significant bottleneck that has been a source of great frustration,” Mr Howarth said.

“In particular, it will reduce driving time for the thousands of motorists who access the Gympie Arterial Road and Bruce Highway from Linkfield Road, getting them home to their families sooner and safer.”

Federal LNP Member for Dickson Peter Dutton said the upgrade would include an in-depth planning phase.

“The exact scope of this upgrade will be investigated as part of the planning process and I look forward to seeing the overpass transformed to be safer and more efficient part of the road network,” Mr Dutton said.

“This is a great outcome for the Linkfield Road overpass campaign which Luke and I launched in March this year and is a well-deserved reward for the thousands of people who signed the petition and contributed their time and voice to this worthy issue.”

The $100 million commitment to the Linkfield Road overpass builds on a commitment of $150 million for northbound entry and southbound exit points at the Dohles Rocks Road interchange on the Bruce Highway.

The Palaszczuk Labor Government is yet to commit its 20 per cent contribution to the Dohles Rocks Road interchange project and will also be asked to fund 20 per cent of the costs to duplicate the Linkfield Road overpass.

In total, the Federal Liberal Nationals Government has committed $10 billion to upgrade the Bruce Highway corridor as part of an overall $20.5 billion commitment to transport infrastructure in Queensland since 2013.

The Liberal National Government is supporting jobs in the Queensland bait prawn industry as it works to recover from an outbreak of white spot syndrome virus.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said $5 million over three years will be shared among local organisations to help keep our country free of the virus.

The funding will also be used to educate commercial and recreational fishers on the risk of not using commercial bait.

“The bait prawn industry plays an import role here in Queensland and we want to make sure these businesses survive and keep employing locals,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.

“We want to help get rid of this virus so fisherman down the coast here can get back to business as usual.”

Queensland’s continuing efforts to control and contain the disease mean uncooked prawns, including those used for bait, are unable to be moved outside of the affected area until they are treated.

Industry, Science and Technology Minister Karen Andrews said the Queensland bait prawn industry is experiencing significant losses in revenue, affecting the livelihoods of Australian fisherman, both in Queensland and interstate.

“The white spot outbreak area extends from Caloundra to the NSW border and west to Ipswich where the greasyback prawn is found,” Minister Karen Andrews said.

“This is a common bait for recreational fishers, and the Coalition is helping to stamp this virus out.”

“The Coalition is working to support the local prawn farming industry and jobs through this funding allocation.”

The white spot syndrome virus is a highly contagious infection that affects crustaceans, such as prawns, crabs and yabbies.

There is no impact to human health, so Australians are encouraged to support the local seafood industry, particularly over the Christmas period, by continuing to buy and eat Australian seafood.

Clubhouse extension for the Peninsula Power F.C.

New change rooms for the Sandgate Hawks

Federal Member for Petrie, Luke Howarth MP and Senator the Hon Bridget McKenzie, Minister for Regional Services, Sport and Local Government, today announced $300,000 for the Sandgate Hawks.

Luke Howarth MP said “today’s announcement is a big win for the Sandgate Hawks. The 45 year old change room will be gutted and refitted with new locker room facilities, showers and training areas.”

Spectators and players will also now have access to a toilet block close to the playing field.

With a big increase in female participation at the Club, the Sandgate Hawks wanted to ensure all players had access to private dressing rooms.

“This is great news for the Sandgate Hawks! Growing up in Bracken Ridge, my family have always had a lot to do with the Club and I’m thrilled to have been able to help the Committee secure funding,” said Luke Howarth MP.

AFL Queensland CEO, Dean Warren welcomed the news at this morning’s announcement.

Across Queensland, there were 39 successful projects in total receiving funding – with the total investment over $6,400,000.

Mitochondrial disease is a serious condition with potentially devastating consequences for patients and their families. The Minister acknowledges that the potential use of mitochondrial donation to prevent women with disease-causing mutations in their mitochondrial DNA from passing those mutations to their children raises medical, scientific, ethical, legal and social questions which must be considered before any decision relating to possible use of this technique in Australia is made.

The Senate Community Affairs References Committee recently conducted an inquiry into the science of mitochondrial donation and related matters. Its report can be obtained from https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Community_Affairs/MitochondrialDonation/Report.

The Committee has recommended that:

• public consultation is undertaken about whether mitochondrial donation should be introduced into Australian clinical practice.
• the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) prepare a discussion paper to facilitate the public consultation.
• the discussion paper should include information about the legislative changes that would be required if mitochondrial donation is to be used.
• NHMRC provides advice to the Australian Government on several important issues relating to the safety of mitochondrial donation and its implications for an individual’s genetic make-up.
• the implementation of mitochondrial donation, if it occurs, should be conducted under a strict regulatory framework.

The Government is currently considering its response to the Senate Committee report. If the recommendations are accepted, and following receipt of the outcomes of the public consultation and NHMRC’s advice, the Australian Government will consider whether to ask Parliament to amend the relevant legislation. The outcome of that process is not certain and until it is completed mitochondrial donation for reproductive purposes remains illegal in Australia.

When it comes to e-cigarettes, the important message is that they’re not a safe alternative to regular cigarettes. E-cigarettes or vaping, act as nicotine induction items. The nicotine in the vapour is just as addictive as nicotine in a burn product or traditional cigarettes. In light of this, both the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and Therapeutic Goods Authority has not registered these as safe.

The Australian Government has real concern that the trendy nature of vaping could attract younger users who have not previously smoked traditional cigarettes. The experience in the US tells us that this is a real danger and one the Government is keen to avoid.

While I certainly understand the argument that vaping will allow for harm minimisation in existing users, in reality we have very low smoking rates that have been the result of consistent long term anti-smoking policies on many levels and the Government doesn’t want to have a reversal of that effective reduction campaign by introducing another way of getting people addicted to nicotine.

There has been a lot said in recent months about Australia’s foreign aid Programme. I value Australia’s aid programme and am proud of the results we have been able to achieve, but also acknowledge the need to be results focused.

It’s not always easy to show the impact of Australian aid, mostly because much of its affects are not directly visible to Australians. The reason Australia contributes to overseas development assistance (ODA) or foreign aid is because it’s critical for our nation’s security, stability and prosperity. Being surrounded by stable countries with strong economies is absolutely essential for Australia’s peace and economic growth.

We spend 90% of our foreign aid in the Indo-Pacific region, supporting our diplomatic, trade and defence efforts and make a conscience effort to focus our aid in the region closest to us.

The Turnbull Government will always remain committed to our neighbours and our region but we also rightly have a focus on performance, results and above all on value-for-money. This means making sure that Australian tax dollars are being put to use that enables our interests, as well as those receiving aid, to be advanced.

Our foreign aid is working to help improve the livelihoods of our neighbours. It is effective and a true validation and testament of our commitment to our region. Our history has shown us as we’ve worked together in the past to defend our region so too we will now, working together, be able to face the many challenges that will allow Australia to continue to grow in safety and prosperity.

More information on Australian foreign aid programmes can be found at the department for Foreign Affairs and Trade website: http://dfat.gov.au/aid/Pages/australias-aid-program.aspx

The Coalition Government understands that the application of the GST to feminine hygiene products is an important issue to many people. Under the intergovernmental Agreement on Federal Financial Relations and Commonwealth legislation, a change to the rate or base of the GST would need to be supported by all of the States and Territories. It would also require the passage of relevant legislation to be passed by both Houses of the Commonwealth Parliament.

At the Council on Federal Financial Relations Tax Reform Workshop on 21 August 2015, the States and Territories considered a proposal from the Commonwealth to remove the GST from feminine hygiene products. As there was no unanimous agreement at the time, no change to the existing GST arrangements for feminine hygiene products will be progressed.

Not one State or Territory has raised this issue with the Treasurer or indicated a change to their jurisdictions’ earlier view, including at the most recent meeting of Sate and Territory Treasurers in Melbourne several weeks ago.

The Coalition Government has been taking action to successfully address the problem of a narrowing GST base for the States and Territories through increased integrity measures and expansion into digital services and low value goods that will yield an additional $1.9 billion dollars next year. This means more funds for hospitals, schools and police. We are also working with the Sates to make the GST distribution system fairer, more resilient and more sustainable.

The removal of items from the GST base is ultimately a matter for the States and Territories, who have not supported any change to the treatment of feminine hygiene products, including when being given the opportunity to do so.

The Coalition Government understands that the application of the GST to feminine hygiene products is an important issue to many people. Under the intergovernmental Agreement on Federal Financial Relations and Commonwealth legislation, a change to the rate or base of the GST would need to be supported by all of the States and Territories. It would also require the passage of relevant legislation to be passed by both Houses of the Commonwealth Parliament.

At the Council on Federal Financial Relations Tax Reform Workshop on 21 August 2015, the States and Territories considered a proposal from the Commonwealth to remove the GST from feminine hygiene products. As there was no unanimous agreement at the time, no change to the existing GST arrangements for feminine hygiene products will be progressed.

Not one State or Territory has raised this issue with the Treasurer or indicated a change to their jurisdictions’ earlier view, including at the most recent meeting of Sate and Territory Treasurers in Melbourne several weeks ago.

The Coalition Government has been taking action to successfully address the problem of a narrowing GST base for the States and Territories through increased integrity measures and expansion into digital services and low value goods that will yield an additional $1.9 billion dollars next year. This means more funds for hospitals, schools and police. We are also working with the Sates to make the GST distribution system fairer, more resilient and more sustainable.

The removal of items from the GST base is ultimately a matter for the States and Territories, who have not supported any change to the treatment of feminine hygiene products, including when being given the opportunity to do so.

Carmichael Mine Project

Financing for the Carmichael mine project is a commercial matter and the final decision on whether to proceed with the project rests with Adani.

The Government is not providing special treatment for Adani to access export credit finance. Adani, like any Australian export project proponent, is able to apply for loans from Efic under its Commercial Account. Loans on Efic’s Commercial Account are a matter for Efic’s majority independent Board of Directors. The Minister cannot, by law, direct Efic who to lend to on its Commercial Account.

Loans on Efic’s Commercial Account are only made where there is a market gap in the availability of finance for otherwise commercially viable projects. Projects must meet high environmental, social and governance standards.

The Carmichael mine project has gone through a rigorous process of Federal and State government approvals. Consideration of the company’s environmental history was the most comprehensive undertaken for any Australian project to date. The Government imposed 36 strict conditions on the Carmichael mine’s approval and these conditions have been validated and upheld in Australia’s independent courts.

The Government’s position on Adani is clear, unlike that of Labor. Bill Shorten is trying to walk both sides of the street – telling coal miners in regional Queensland he supports the mine; while telling voters in inner city Melbourne he’s against it. It’s another example that shows Mr Shorten can’t be trusted.