Mary Aldred meets the volunteers of the thriving Rotary Op Shop in Cowes.
By Mary Aldred
WHILE winter has certainly arrived, it was wonderful to see so many families make the most of the school holidays by coming to the Whale Festival and watching the spectacular whale migration along our Bass Coast.
This month also marks one year since I was officially sworn into the Parliament as your Federal Member for Monash.
Every day since I’ve dedicated myself to serving our community, standing up for our region, and fighting for the issues that matter to you.
WHILE winter has certainly arrived, it was wonderful to see so many families make the most of the school holidays by coming to the Whale Festival and watching the spectacular whale migration along our Bass Coast.
This month also marks one year since I was officially sworn into the Parliament as your Federal Member for Monash.
Every day since I’ve dedicated myself to serving our community, standing up for our region, and fighting for the issues that matter to you.
Over the past year, some of the work that my team and I have been working on includes:
However, there’s a lot more work to be done, with many families and small businesses still hurting from Labor’s cost-of-living crisis.
I’ve heard from a local couple being forced to live in a tent in a stranger’s driveway because they cannot afford to rent anywhere on their $450 per week budget.
An elderly couple tell of having to hand blankets to visitors because they cannot afford to turn on heating.
Regretfully, many people are turning to food relief services just to put food on the table.
Where possible, I urge everyone to please support local businesses. Our small businesses strengthen our local economy, create local jobs and step up to sponsor our local sports teams and community organisations. They play such an important role and need our support.
I’ve also focused on fixing national issues, and recently introduced my first private members’ motion calling for the Government to finally step up and take action to stop superannuation companies delaying super death benefit payouts.
A private member’s motion allows MPs, who are not ministers, to raise important issues, put forward ideas for government action, and support a cause or start debate on an issue.
I’ve helped several widows from our region who had to fight superannuation companies for up to a year to receive their death benefit payouts. They were only paid after I intervened on their behalf.
Delving deeper, more than 4,000 Australians are waiting - in some cases up to four years - to access their money held by superannuation funds.
These super funds have made an artform out of delayed payments, with transferred calls, unanswered emails and challenges for every document. These delays often affect older women who – like the local women I helped – are grieving the loss of a spouse, whilst also having to fight for money they are entitled to. As one widow asked, “What if I was in a dire financial position?”
The Federal Labor Government promised reforms to superannuation payout timeframes in January 2025. Over 18 months later, we’re yet to see any progress! I don’t believe this is good enough and I’m working to see this matter urgently addressed.
This column is also a great opportunity to share the work and achievements of our incredible local organisations.
This month, I want to praise the volunteers who run and work in our “op shops” across the Monash electorate.
Our region has op shops that quietly raise funds for a wide range of initiatives, from food relief, to hospitals and service organisations.
One shop that’s thriving is the Rotary Op Shop in Cowes, recently making the move into new and expanded premises. The shop hasn’t moved far - just next door - in Thompson Ave.
Hundreds of volunteer hours have been invested by Rotarians and helpers, with all shop proceeds directed to great local projects and causes.
If you have an hour of two spare, I’m sure Phillip Island and San Remo Rotary Club would welcome new faces to help serve, or sort and price items. You can do what I recently did, drop by for a browse and find a bargain as a way to support our local community.
- assisting more than 1,200 local people with their Federal Government matters, ranging from veterans’ affairs and small business support, to the NDIS and superannuation;
- delivering exactly 100 speeches in Parliament focused on national and local issues, including coastal erosion in Bass Coast, the need for a new sports hub on Phillip Island to cater for our growing population, and the impact of losing the MotoGP on tourism, hospitality and accommodation;
- putting 13 questions to Labor about their failures during parliamentary question time, including five questions to the Prime Minister.;
- visiting 20 schools and kindergartens to promote learning about how our government works;
- hosting 22 mobile office community catchups across all parts of the Monash
electorate, with the next scheduled at Paul the Pieman in Inverloch on Friday, 24 July
at 11.30am; and - serving as a parliamentary Deputy Whip, member of the Speaker’s Panel and as a member of six parliamentary committees, as well as co-chair of four parliament ‘Friends Of’ groups.
However, there’s a lot more work to be done, with many families and small businesses still hurting from Labor’s cost-of-living crisis.
I’ve heard from a local couple being forced to live in a tent in a stranger’s driveway because they cannot afford to rent anywhere on their $450 per week budget.
An elderly couple tell of having to hand blankets to visitors because they cannot afford to turn on heating.
Regretfully, many people are turning to food relief services just to put food on the table.
Where possible, I urge everyone to please support local businesses. Our small businesses strengthen our local economy, create local jobs and step up to sponsor our local sports teams and community organisations. They play such an important role and need our support.
I’ve also focused on fixing national issues, and recently introduced my first private members’ motion calling for the Government to finally step up and take action to stop superannuation companies delaying super death benefit payouts.
A private member’s motion allows MPs, who are not ministers, to raise important issues, put forward ideas for government action, and support a cause or start debate on an issue.
I’ve helped several widows from our region who had to fight superannuation companies for up to a year to receive their death benefit payouts. They were only paid after I intervened on their behalf.
Delving deeper, more than 4,000 Australians are waiting - in some cases up to four years - to access their money held by superannuation funds.
These super funds have made an artform out of delayed payments, with transferred calls, unanswered emails and challenges for every document. These delays often affect older women who – like the local women I helped – are grieving the loss of a spouse, whilst also having to fight for money they are entitled to. As one widow asked, “What if I was in a dire financial position?”
The Federal Labor Government promised reforms to superannuation payout timeframes in January 2025. Over 18 months later, we’re yet to see any progress! I don’t believe this is good enough and I’m working to see this matter urgently addressed.
This column is also a great opportunity to share the work and achievements of our incredible local organisations.
This month, I want to praise the volunteers who run and work in our “op shops” across the Monash electorate.
Our region has op shops that quietly raise funds for a wide range of initiatives, from food relief, to hospitals and service organisations.
One shop that’s thriving is the Rotary Op Shop in Cowes, recently making the move into new and expanded premises. The shop hasn’t moved far - just next door - in Thompson Ave.
Hundreds of volunteer hours have been invested by Rotarians and helpers, with all shop proceeds directed to great local projects and causes.
If you have an hour of two spare, I’m sure Phillip Island and San Remo Rotary Club would welcome new faces to help serve, or sort and price items. You can do what I recently did, drop by for a browse and find a bargain as a way to support our local community.