CUNNINGHAM NEWS

Newsletter of the Federal Member for Cunningham, Michael Organ MP

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IN THIS NEWSLETTER• No Job is Worth Dying For• Centenary medal recipients

honoured• ASIO Act• Carers Allowance Crisis• Gold Pass Bill• Telstra Privatisation & Job Cuts• Fundraiser• Poverty Inquiry• Constituent News• Villawood Detention Centre Visit• David Hicks and Mamdouh Habib• Housing Affordability• Parliamentary Work• Green Corps• A single Green in the House• Garma Forum• Meet the Member Evenings• Website Information

Michael Organ MPFederal Member for Cunningham

Suites 10-12 Ronald & Glass Building,

83-85 Railway St. Corrimal NSW 2518

PO Box 246 Corrimal NSW 2518

Phone: 02 4283 7300

Fax: 02 4283 7800

Freecall: 1800 805 551

Email : Michael.Organ.MP@aph.gov.au

No job is worth dying for…According to the Australian Manufacturers Worker’s Union one worker is killed every 46 hours and federal government figures reveal hundreds of workers are killed every year. In addition there are thousands of injuries that result in the need for rehabilitation in the short and longer term.

My father suffered from a work related disease in his final years, so I know only too well the impact an unsafe workplace can have on families and communities.

The Illawarra has a sad history of workplace fatalities. The 1902 Mount Kembla mine disaster, which claimed 96 lives, holds the dubious honour of Australia’s worst industrial loss of life. More recently, the Appin colliery explosion in 1979 resulted in 14 deaths, whilst the South Bulli Colliery tragedy killed three people in 1991.

I am sure you will agree that even one preventable death or serious injury at work is one too many.

I strongly believe that every worker has the right to a safe workplace.

Corporations which are negligent in providing workers with a safe environment should face serious sanctions under the law, putting an end to soft fines and wrist slapping. That seems only fair, particularly when other people in the community go to gaol for offences that do not cause the death or injury of others.

The time to act is now. That is why I have commissioned the drafting of an Industrial Death and Serious Injury Private Member’s Bill. If enacted, this amendment to the Federal Criminal Code will go some way to reversing the injustice that occurs when workers are killed or injured because of the negligent actions of their employer.

In cases where criminal negligence is established to have caused the death of an employee, my Bill provides for imprisonment of up to 25 years and up to 10 years for cases of serious injury caused by executives of corporations.

The Bill also gives the courts the capacity to fine corporations up to $50 million if they are found to be responsible for the death or serious injury of an employee, and personal fines up to $5 million for executives of those corporations.

As well, the Bill provides the judiciary with a large number of sentencing options such as banning an individual from being a company director, in addition to community service obligations and reparation.

Recently, I began a consultation process with the South Coast Labour Council and other peak trade union bodies about the Bill and what they would like to see become the law. I also hope that the people of Cunningham can provide me with their feedback about this important legislative proposal. The Bill is available at my website (www.michaelorgan.org.au ) or by calling my office on 4283 7300.

While just laws are needed to protect workers, it is equally important to publicise the extent and effect of workplace death and injury in the community. That is why I will be launching an exhibition in the Illawarra illustrating the impact of workplace tragedy. The exhibition will then go to State Parliament in Sydney where it will be looked after by my Green colleague in the NSW Legislative Council, Lee Rhiannon who is also launching a NSW campaign, before moving to Parliament House in Canberra to support the introduction of the Bill.

If you would like to get involved in this campaign by contributing photographs and work equipment on loan to the exhibition, please contact my office. We must take on board the lessons of the past and ensure that workplace safety is a priority.

ISSUE 4, SEPTEMBER 2003

STOP PRESS: Meet the Member Evenings - details page 8 Website up & running www.michaelorgan.org.au

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CENTENARY MEDAL RECIPIENTS HONOUREDOn Monday, 19 May 2003 I hosted an afternoon tea at Wollongong City Art Gallery to pay tribute to residents of the electorate who had been awarded Centenary Medals for service to Australian society, and to formally recognise their individual contribution to the community.

The Centenary Medal was announced in late December 2001 to enable contributions made up to, and during, the Centenary of Federation year to be recognised.

I was pleased to be able to give public recognition to the marvellous individuals whose contribution makes our society so strong and vibrant. Their efforts encompassed a wide range of fields, both as volunteers and in a professional capacity.

More than 60 people in the electorate were honoured and most were able to join us for the afternoon tea to celebrate their great achievements.

Carers Allowance CrisisOnce again some of the most vulnerable in our community have been singled out for harsh treatment by the Federal Government. Centrelink instituted a national review of the Carer Allowance requiring carers of children with Down syndrome, between the ages of 6 and 16 years, to justify that their child still requires substantial additional care. This was suspended on the 4th August 2003. However, some harm has already been done as parents have completed the forms and been reviewed and there is uncertainty about the future.

It is my understanding that periodic reviews of children with Down syndrome will occur at various ages in the child’s life, approximately every two to three years, which will be onerous for parents and carers.

Meeting with a local mum caring for her child with Down syndrome recently provided me with valuable insights into the harshness of any review process that has assessment of the child’s function rather than the amount of care that the child may need as its main focus.

Such a periodic review is likely to cost more money than it saves as most, if not all, children with Down syndrome are likely to satisfy the review requirements according to the Down Syndrome Association of NSW Inc. More importantly such reviews are onerous on families and discriminatory in nature

Michael & Centenary Medal recipient Bill Johnson

as they target a group living with significant and debilitating health issues that will accompany them through life.

In fact, a compassionate government would consult with the 4,000 families across Australia who care for a child with Down syndrome to ensure that the Carer Allowance is meeting their needs for respite care, speech therapy, communication aids and other necessary therapeutic services. An allowance of $43.85 per week is very little for children who have special needs and require substantial support in order to participate in a diverse range of social and educational activities.

Reviewing the Carer Allowance for people living with disabilities is just one of many sad reminders that governments lose sight of the social needs of the communities they claim to support, and instead, place harsh economic barriers in place that only serve to attack already struggling families.

Cartoon by Les Svraka

Telstra Privatisation & Job Cuts! With the ALP starting the great privatisation fire sale in the 1980s (viz. Qantas, the Commonwealth Bank) the Coalition government is keen to finish it off, with the last and best prize being Telstra, the national communications carrier. Many people who contact my office are strongly and rightly opposed to the sale of Australia’s largest public asset. Like them, I believe Telstra should remain in public hands.

Telstra’s annual profit of around $1.2 billion is money that should be spent on improving the quality of life for all Australians, not just those people that can afford to buy shares. I remember not too long ago when the Government owned a host of public utilities like Qantas, the Commonwealth Bank and all of Telstra, and all the profits from these corporations went straight back into government revenue that provides services for the community.

Telstra continues to struggle to maintain an adequate and appropriate level of service to communities throughout Australia, whether metropolitan, regional, rural or remote. Within Cunningham, residents as far north as Helensburgh and as far south as Cordeaux Heights, regularly complain to me about their telephone services and substandard internet connections dropping out or taking ages to be fixed.

The privatisation of Telstra would have a particularly bad impact upon the residents and businesses in the electorate. We have recently seen Telstra sacking 8 experienced local technicians despite these valuable staff regularly completing overtime, so they can fix telephone faults in the local area. If the privatisation goes ahead, many more services will be eroded and more staff will be axed.

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Michael Organ MPMember for Cunningham

Invites you to attend his

Anniversary Dinner

on

Friday 31st October 2003

7.00 pm at the

Fraternity Bowling and Recreation Club

11 Bourke St. Fairy Meadow – off Princes Highway

Special Guest Speaker: Senator Bob Brown Australian Greens

Music and Dancing to 12.30 am

The Driveearthy and ethereal,

instrumental andsong...and all made for dancing

Dress: Semi-Formal Tickets: $60.00 each

Includes 3 course meal and Open bar for 2 hours

RSVP by 20/10/2003 to TheresaPh/Fax: (02) 4226 1512

Mob: 04216 55149Email: thuxtable@catchnet.com.au

No tickets available at the door

Time to get pollies snouts out of the trough!!

On 18 August I introduced into Parliament a Private Member’s Bill that abolishes free travel and the life travel gold pass for retired politicians.

It is simply outrageous that retired politicians and their spouses continue to receive taxpayer funded travel after they leave Parliament. This rort costs taxpayers around $1 million per annum. Until it is swept aside, the government and opposition have zero credibility when they carp on about the need for “financial responsibility” and “belt tightening”.

Funding for our schools, hospitals and welfare is neglected whilst politicians get free business class air travel paid for by your taxes.

I believe the Gold Pass needs to be stopped immediately and that is exactly what this Bill seeks to do.

The purpose of the Bill is to abolish travel entitlements for retired politicians and their spouses and to provide for a highly restricted set of circumstances where retired Members of Parliament or their spouses are entitled to travel at the expense of the Australian taxpayer.

Provision is made for retired Members of Parliament to be allocated one return travel journey for the purposes of vacating their parliamentary offices. In the event of the death of the Member of Parliament, the Member’s spouse or his or her nominee may utilise this benefit.

In the interests of civic duty this Bill also provides retired Prime Ministers with a domestic travel allowance that is capped at $2000 per year and which may be increased to reflect rising travel costs.

Of note, this Bill also seeks to transfer all frequent flyer points that are accrued by a Member in the performance of parliamentary duty to the Commonwealth upon the Member’s retirement or death.

I look forward to the government and opposition truly reflecting community standards and supporting the Bill. Hopefully we will one day see an end to the massive hypocrisy of protecting inappropriate entitlements for an elite club of politicians whilst at the same time demanding user pays from everyone else.

The Independent Member for Calare, Peter Andren MP, has assisted me in bringing this Bill before the House.

Gold Pass Bill

THE ASIO ACTCivil liberties have become increasingly restricted with the passage of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Legislation Amendment (Terrorism) Act 2000 through the Senate. I opposed the bill. Unfortunately the ALP and the Government did a deal that results in civil liberties being threatened like never before in Australian history.

This law allows for people to be detained without charge and prevents them contacting anyone. While a person is detained for questioning, the right to silence is abolished with a 5 year gaol term if they don’t answer questions put to them by ASIO.

Additionally, people can be gaoled for 5 years if they fail to produce any record or thing that they are directed to produce.

In a blanket move, everyone over the age of 15 can be caught by this law which can result in strip searches and detention for 1 week.

In Parliament I condemned this law, arguing that it establishes the means for the existence of a police state. As a response to terrorism I urged the Government to provide more resources for our security services instead of restricting our civil liberties and invading countries without the approval of the United Nations.

SUBMISSION TO THE SENATE POVERTY INQUIRYDelivered in person – Wollongong Town Hall, 2nd July 2003

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The following is an extract from my submission to the inquiry, which visited Wollongong on 2 July 2003.

“Thank you for this opportunity. I would like to make a brief statement to the inquiry. Since being elected to federal parliament on 19 October last year, my staff and I have met a large number of local constituents concerning matters related to the terms of reference of the current inquiry. As a result of these meetings, I have concluded that Australia is currently facing a poverty crisis and there is ample evidence for that in an area like the Illawarra. This crisis is not being recognised or adequately dealt with by the government and that is why I welcome this inquiry.

To support my statement I would like to give an example from the many representations I have received on matters relating to assistance with housing, welfare payments and health care issues. In talking about poverty, I am referring to the problems associated with obtaining the basic necessities of life—food to eat and a roof over one’s head; that is what it is all about.

We are also talking about equitable access to health, employment, education and welfare services. All of these issues are often in crisis mode in households where money is an issue and the spectre of poverty exists. And it is a spectre—the people who were here a minute ago were saying that it is an embarrassment and that people do not want to talk about the issues, which is a real problem. That is why I think it is great that we have the opportunity to at least raise the issues publicly.

I have one quick example from my electorate. Mrs Y, a single mother in her 40s from Wollongong, approached my office for assistance in securing housing from the New South Wales Department of Housing. While this is a state matter, I arranged to meet with her to discuss the issues and see if I could offer any assistance. Mrs Y told me that she had rented a small flat with her 12-year-old daughter, whom she was putting through school. Responsibility for her daughter limited Mrs Y’s employment opportunities, though she did work to supplement her meagre income. Due to her low wage, she was finding it very difficult to provide the basic necessities of life for her family. For example, she was forced to turn off her hot water system regularly to save on electricity. She could not afford to pay for the telephone, she found the price of food increasingly expensive and private health insurance was simply unaffordable. I think her family’s income was around $20,000 per annum.

As I mentioned, Mrs Y had for a long time been looking for support and help in getting Department of Housing accommodation. Unfortunately, her plight was not severe enough. I understand that she is still in strained circumstances. I have had a lot of people come to my office who have been on Department of Housing waiting lists, particularly in the Illawarra, for over five years. My understanding is that, unless those people have special emergency circumstances, most of them will never get into public housing. It is basically an open-ended list. It is not a matter of years anymore—they just do not get housing. Mrs Y was concerned not only for her own circumstances but for others in the community whom she knew. She had conducted her own brief survey on some of these difficult circumstances. She informed me that her situation was in no way an isolated example, or extraordinary, and that she knew many people, including pensioners, single parents and families on low incomes, who were finding it increasingly

difficult to earn a decent income and to take care of themselves and their family members.

I have found that the claims of dire straits by people such as Mrs Y are supported in documents such as the submission to this inquiry by the St Vincent de Paul Society. That submission reinforced a lot of what I was being told. I therefore welcome this Senate inquiry, both in its role of addressing the terms of reference and in raising the issue of poverty within our community, an issue which is little spoken about.

I feel that a number of circumstances are exacerbating this issue and causing major changes in Australian society, resulting in an increasing gulf between rich and poor which heretofore has not existed to such a degree—not in my lifetime anyway. We now have a large group in our society which may be classified as the working poor, and I am sure that you have become aware of that. These are individuals and families struggling on low wages. There are those in our society who are forced to survive on welfare payments and who find this unsustainable and demoralising.

In summary, in order to ensure that Australians enjoy a quality of life which ensures their basic health and well-being—and that is what we are all about, as politicians and through this inquiry—and a bright future full of opportunity for

their children, I would suggest that the government and authorities need to set clear direction and example by supporting basic free medical health services—and maintaining Medicare is at the core of that—and free education, such that education is not a burden on families but just part of everyday life. The cost of education is really an issue at the moment. We have seen TAFE introducing fees, university becoming expensive and pressure on preschool, primary and secondary education with regard to fees as well.

You have obviously had a lot of input about the provision of meaningful welfare services for those most in need. I think that is a given, which we all need to refocus on. We need to remove some of the punitive

arrangements that are currently in place. Another area is fair wages and conditions for Australian workers. That is at the core: in order to have a good quality of life, with basic health and well-being, you need to be gainfully employed and have some sort of security.

With the recent changes in the workplace—attacks on unions, the casualisation of the work force—all of a sudden a lot of people are now insecure in their employment. If they are contracting out, they are not sure about their future, and those insecurities can have implications on their physical and psychological well-being and impacts on the family if they do not know whether money is coming in or not. We need to get back to a regime of full-time secure employment with fair wages so that people can at least survive and have basic health and well-being. These are the basic necessities that we need to make sure exist in this country.

…As I was saying, medical services, education, fair wages and conditions, and a good welfare service are the basic necessities in order to ensure that Australia’s poverty crisis does not worsen, that the gap between the rich and the poor does not widen and that we remain the egalitarian society of which we are most proud.”

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Constituent News Since opening last October, our office has been busy helping people in the community with problems they have with federal government agencies. For example, we recently:

• Assisted a constituent receive $17,000 in back pay from Centrelink for their pension. This had already taken a year to finalise prior to seeing us.

• Made representations to Centrelink on behalf of a young woman who was deemed ineligible for youth allowance because of her particular family circumstances. She has received $1500 in back pay after Centrelink reviewed its decision.

• Assisted a person obtain child maintenance payments from overseas. Negotiations with the Child Support Agency are continuing in a slow but methodical manner.

• Gave advice to a person who has been denied a visa to visit Australia. After negotiations with the Department of Immigration we are confident that on this occasion the visa will have a much higher chance of being approved.

• Assisted a young person transfer between rehabilitation clinics and, at the same time, transfer of all of her social security benefits.

If you have a problem with the Commonwealth Government visit our office and inquire of me or any of my staff to see how we can help in a sympathetic, confidential and efficient manner. We pride ourselves on our ability to help people in Cunningham with the problems we all face when dealing with the Government.

David Hicks and Mamdouh HabibDavid Hicks and Mamdouh Habib have been held captive by US authorities at Guantanamo Bay Cuba for the past 19 months without charge or trial. They have been systematically denied due process and legal rights.

Neither man has been able to have the legality of his ongoing imprisonment tested in US courts, nor have charges been brought against them. They have been denied independent legal advice and have remained incarcerated in a tiny cage without access to friends or family members. They are at the mercy of the US President.

The idea that David, recently declared eligible to stand trial under military commission rules will receive a fair trial by US authorities is not supported by recent conduct by US authorities. Instead, the trial will amount to little more than a grotesque charade and show-trial reminiscent of the Soviet Stalinist regime. A regime which brutally crushed dissent, legal and human rights and made a mockery of the legal processes.

The Australian Government has failed yet again to make any adequate representations on behalf of its citizens, and marks the low water mark of the Prime Minister’s concern for legal process and the rule of law.

World leaders in the legal profession have recently called on the US to recognise the basic human rights of the detainees and allow them a fair and lawfull trial. Everybody must be equal before the law.

Vil lawood Det ention Centre vi sitI recently visited Villawood Detention Centre to meet some of the young men, women and families, and hear their stories of survival, not only of fleeing persecution in their homelands, but how they are surviving in Australia’s detention facilities.

The sadness evident in the demeanour of these detainees surviving inside is a source of shame and hurt for all who visit. It is particularly sad to see young people in Villawood who have spent three, four or more years in various detention camps during the most formative years of their lives. Many have lived with fear, stress and loneliness for so long, they now experience anxiety and depression. They are given medication that simply serves to mask these conditions rather than address the causes. What a waste it is to see courageous, vital and skilled people with so much to offer, cut off from opportunities that could benefit all of us in so many wonderful ways.

The razor wire that surrounds the perimeter fences of Villawood is harsh and threatening. This is not an appropriate backdrop for family life. Nor is it an ethical or necessary feature of Australian immigration policy. There are successful alternatives to the soul-destroying system of mandatory detention for asylum seekers.

Some in our Government would like us to forget that fellow human beings are spending years of their lives living in crowded detention camps removed from diverse social interactions, formal education, employment and the nurturing of a family or community.

It is essential that we do not turn a blind eye to any Government action that results in vulnerable people being imprisoned indefinitely, denied basic human rights and reduced to a physical and psychological shadow of their former selves.

I will continue with my work to act as an advocate for the release of refugees and work for the systemic reforms that will prevent such an injustice affecting future asylum seekers.

I appreciate the very many letters of concern that I have received from all of you who have contacted me to express your support for the refugees and I encourage others to join us in our efforts. Australia’s future is dependent on us fulfilling our goal of being a compassionate and progressive nation. Working for justice for refugees is essential to us achieving this goal.

Michael giving a helping hand and advice to a constituent

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The Housing Affordability CrisisTreasurer Peter Costello’s Productivity Commission inquiry into the issue of first home ownership needs to go beyond buying a first home and tackle the broader question of affordable housing, whether buying or renting.

The focus must be on making secure housing accessible to everyone rather than dreaming up new ways to throw tax dollars at chasing an inflationary housing market.

Negative gearing and the First Home Owners Grant are part of the problem not the solution. These inflationary measures are more about election handouts than affordable home ownership.

Taxes like the Federal GST and State stamp duty certainly add to the problem, but they are not the sole reasons that housing is becoming increasingly unaffordable.

The Illawarra Property Market Review shows that average home prices in the Wollongong area rose 72% in the last five years from $169,950 to $293,000, but the combined GST/stamp duty impact on that average home is only about $39,000 or less than a third of the total increase of $123,050.

The Prime Minister and the State Premiers must stop playing the blame game and focus on providing sustainable and accessible housing, especially for those on low to average incomes.

The increasing shift to casualisation of the workforce is another of the factors keeping first home buyers out of the housing market, along with the Federal government’s failure to address decentralisation and regional development with more and more people competing for homes in major population centres where most of the jobs growth is.

But most of the new jobs being created are part-time or casual, making it difficult if not impossible to raise a mortgage, so it is not surprising that many first home buyers are being left out in the cold.

The Greens hope that this inquiry will recommend strategies that rein in current over-development and deliver what people really need; accessible, sustainable housing, not get rich quick schemes.

Parliamentary Work...Many people in the community wonder what politians do whilst in parliament.

Since presenting my first speech on 6 February 2003 I have asked five questions without notice (on transport of spent nuclear fuel rods, veterans’ entitlements, military detention of Australian citizens, regional funding for the University of Wollongong, and Lawrence Hargrave Drive) as well as placing seven questions on the notice paper to ministers.

I have made private member’s statements on reconciliation, Aceh, the ChilOut report on children in immigration detention centres, Lawrence Hargrave Drive and Tibet.

I spoke in response to two statements to the House of Representatives by Prime Minister John Howard, expressing the Greens position against the war on Iraq, and on bushfires, and followed up my statement on bushfires with membership of the Select Committee inquiring into the recent Australian bushfires.

I have also spoken on 13 pieces of legislation including ASIO, the national handgun buyback, personal income tax reduction, terrorist organisations, Medicare, the Federal budget, export market development grants, the National Film and Sound Archive and industrial chemicals, codifying contempt offences under Workplace Relations Act and the Telstra sale.

I have also introduced a private member’s Bill to abolish Gold Pass travel for retired Federal politicians and their spouses.

As the Member for Cunningham I am playing an active role in the parliamentary process on behalf of the electorate.

Green Corp Energy Audit Project Launch - Wollongong Botanic Gardens

Green Corps energy auditThe office of Cunningham MP Michael Organ heads the list of organisations and individuals who have signed up for an energy audit being conducted in the latest Green Corps project being managed by Corrimal-based Access Community Group.

In July I was pleased to be able to launch this program which will see 10 young people aged from 17 to 20 working to increase community awareness of the issues related to unsustainable energy use.

The project also aims to achieve an overall energy reduction in the community by creating a series of tools and resources that the broader community can access to enable them to make better and more informed choices in relation to energy use.

Australian households spend up to $1,500 on energy bills every year and around 90% of that energy comes from burning fossil fuels like coal, which release greenhouse gases.

Access Community Group wants to get at least 200 businesses and households involved in the energy audit and I was only too pleased to put my Corrimal office at the head of that list.

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A Single Green in the House!Prior to my election last October the ALP had held this seat since its inception in 1949 and many people felt that Labor had taken it for granted. Whether or not that is true, the fact that Cunningham is the only House of Representatives seat held by The Greens means that you can be sure that we are very keen to retain it at the next election.

I believe the only way to do that is to win and hold the trust of the community by working with the people of Cunningham to help them to find solutions to individual problems whether large or small, and by representing your interests in a clear and effective way.

I won’t come to you at election time with a grab-bag of big-spending promises that I cannot deliver on, but I will promise to continue my efforts to ensure that the voice of the Cunningham community continues to be heard in parliament without being gagged by party policies which work against our interests.

I do not doubt that some Coalition MPs don’t support the detention of children in Ruddock’s outback prisons, but not one of them has taken a stand about it for fear of earning the wrath of the Prime Minister and ruining their careers.

Our State ALP members have failed to take the running on important local issues despite being in power. Solutions to the closure of Lawrence Hargrave Drive have not been championed by the ALP members who sit in Macquarie Street with valuable access to the Premier, even though this issue affects thousands of people in the region every day. They have been similarly silent on the future development of Port Kembla as a general cargo and container facility.

These issues are things that I can get involved in, without the risk of being crushed by a big party machine.

To that end I have visited Villawood detention centre and plan to inspect others in Australia, I have organised a public meeting to sort out a response to Lawrence Hargrave Drive, and support for Port Kembla development which could end up creating 3,000 new jobs coalesced during my jobs summits earlier this year. In this way I have shown that I can indeed represent the community of Cunningham without fear - something the major parties can never offer.

In the dog house

I recently met with indigenous health students from the University of Wollongong who visited Northern Arnhem Land between 7-13 August 2003 to attend the Garma Festival. It is facilitated by the Garma Cultural Studies Institute and brings delegates from all over the country.

Samia Goudie, course co-ordinator from the University, used the opportunity to promote the Illawarra and indigenous issues. Along with the students she had the opportunity to meet with other indigenous peoples from around Australia. At Garma a DVD produced by Samia was launched. It looks at the current issues facing indigenous Peoples throughout the South Pacific and Australia and hopes to promote community ties and relationships amongst all indigenous people.

Gama is regarded as one of Australia’s most significant Indigenous festivals, and is attended by over 20 clan groups from north east Arnhem land, as well as representatives from clan groups and neighbouring Indigenous peoples throughout Australia.

The festival is designed to encourage the practice, preservation and maintenance of traditional dance (bunggul), song (manikay), art and ceremony on Yolngu lands in North East Arnhem Land. For more information visit: www.garma.telstra.com

Lawrence Hargrave Drive to close for 21/2 year s!

Garma Forum

In the next issue I will address some of the other benefits of not being a member of a major party, and consider the effects of big party branch stacking, conflicts of interest and subservience to big party leadership

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I want to know what issues are of concern to you and how best I can represent you in Canberra.

Over the next few months public meetings will be held regularly throughout the Cunningham electorate to provide constituents with the opportunity to talk to their Federal member. Dates are listed below.

During the evening my staff and I will be available to meet, discuss and chat about relevant issues, including social security payments, veterans’ entitlements, immigration problems, environmental concerns and more.

The next meeting, open to all members of the community, will take place at Wollongong on Thursday 25 September.

Meeting No. 5 at Wollongong, Thursday 25 SeptemberTime: 7.00 – 8.30pm

Location: Wollongong Town Hall, Community Hall

93 Crown Street, Wollongong

Meeting No. 6 at Coniston, Wednesday 22 OctoberTime: 7.30 – 9.00pm

Location: Coniston Community Centre

26 Bridge Street, Coniston

Michael Organ MPFederal Member for Cunningham

Corrimal Office:

Suites 10-12 Ronald & Glass Building,83-85 Railway St. Corrimal NSW 2518

PO Box 246 Corrimal NSW 2518

Phone: 02 4283 7300

Fax: 02 4283 7800

Freecall:1800 805551

Email : Michael.Organ.MP@aph.gov.au

Parliament House:

Phone: 02 6277 4366

Fax: 02 6277 8472

Corrimal Office open 9am-5pm Monday to Friday.

Meet the member! 9am – 12 noon every Wednesday that Parliament is not sitting.

Or contact the office to make an appointment that suits you.

What we can do for you ?Please call Michael or his staff on any issue or area of concern. We are here to help.

Michael and his office can help provide assistance and support with the following:

• Any Federal matter

• Congratulatory messages from the Queen and Prime Minister for;100th birthdays, and 50th wedding anniversaries

• Flags for schools and other eligible groups

• Certificates of Appreciation for ex-service personnel, and civilian service.

• Nominations for Government Awards

We look forward to hearing from you.

After months of design work, and very considerable effort by my staff, my website is now up and running at www.michaelorgan.org.au

It includes brief outlines of some of the issues we face as residents of Cunningham, functions I am hosting, my parliamentary speeches, media releases and the option to subscribe, links to other useful sites and an email link for you to raise matters directly with me.

Join the hundreds of others who have already checked out the site, and let me know what you think.

Meet the Member Evenings

WEBSITE UP AND RUNNING

CUNNINGHAM NEWS

AcknowledgementsThanks to all the staff who helped with the compilation of this Newsletter, especially to our special guest editor Jason Hart and also to Cohan from Bulli Printery.