JUDI MOYLAN MP SAYS ‘THANKS’

May I extend my thanks to all those who placed their trust in me to represent them in the Federal Parliament for this next term.

Since 1993, it has been a great privilege to serve the electorate of Pearce and I look forward to continuing to work with the many and diverse communities to achieve peoples’ aspirations for the future.

Pearce is the third largest electorate in geographical terms, in Western Australia. Since I was first elected in 1993 there have been two redistributions.  This has dramatically changed the profile of Pearce which now covers an area of about 26,251 square kilometres and includes the coastal area from Mindarie to Lancelin; the Swan Valley, Chittering Valley and north to Gingin, the Avon including Toodyay, Northam and York, the eastern wheat-belt including Beverley, Brookton, Pingelly, Williams and Narrogin and south to Boddington. The hills area and east to Wundowie has remained in Pearce since 1993, losing a small part of Kalamunda and the foothills in the last redistribution.

Primary and secondary industry, mining, fishing, tourism and the RAAF Base Pearce, are all important industries in Pearce that generate wealth and provide jobs.

The range and diversity of activities provide many challenges and keeps me fully engaged making representations to Ministers in Canberra, contributing to policy committees and standing committees of the Parliament and speaking in the House.

To stay in touch with organisations and individuals, I hold constituent days in various centres throughout Pearce. This gives me the opportunity to engage with local groups and individuals and to stay in contact with the many Shires and Councils in Pearce.

I look forward to continuing to regularly visit local centres in this term of Parliament so that I can more fully appreciate the local achievements, aims and ambitions and meet local people.

As always I also look forward to engaging in the important debates and policy work in the Parliament.

During this term of Parliament, I am committed to continue my strong advocacy for education and training. It fits with my ambition to encourage a much stronger focus on education in agriculture and science.

Having visited and announced funding for the Narrogin Agricultural College and Muresk last year, I am aware of their continuing struggle for funding which is substantially a state government matter.

Faced with the great challenge of how to preserve the productivity of the land, manage water, the environment and climate change, and produce sufficient food for domestic consumption as well as for export, we will require a new wave of young people with both scientific and practical skills to meet these challenges.   

Having talked with Professor Alan Robson Vice Chancellor of the University of Western Australia I am also aware of the pressures on training hospitals and the need to expand training opportunities for newly graduated doctors.  What better place to train than some of our regional hospitals?

This will be high on my list of priorities as it is more likely that doctors trained in regional hospitals will take up practice in those communities and despite everyone’s best efforts there is still a doctor shortage in rural and regional areas.

The shared responsibility for funding education, health, roads and a myriad of other services brings me to the important issue of our state, federal system of government.

Created in 1901 it has served us well, however we must turn our minds to building a federal system of government that recognises contemporary issues. There is a need for clear delineation of responsibility between state and federal government and an urgent need to stop the ‘blame game’.

I have never been a ‘centralist’ because I believe such a policy requires conformity to the mantra of ‘one size fits all’.

A centralised system makes it difficult for individual communities to shine by building on their natural attributes. Conversely, decentralisation encourages excellence, diversity and competition.

The attributes of excellence, diversity and individual achievement are worthwhile ambitions, but always in the context of not forgetting those in our midst for whom life is a struggle and whom need a helping hand.

Please contact me by phone, mail or email J.Moylan.MP@aph.gov.au if I can assist you or your local community.