By Mary Aldred

AFTER a fortnight in Canberra, it’s great to be back in the Bass Coast Post.

During the two parliament sitting weeks, I delivered 12 speeches on issues including healthcare access for regional women and girls, timber imports delaying Kernot Bridge repairs, and the economic loss of the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix on Phillip Island.

In Question Time, I asked the Prime Minister several times if he would cut the tobacco excise to address Australia’s illegal tobacco crisis.

Putting local issues on the national agenda, I welcomed Leader of the Opposition Angus Taylor to the Monash electorate this week. We met with food relief volunteers, small business operators and rode along with a local truck driver to view the condition of our roads.

Cost of living, supporting small business and better roads are critical issues for our community and Australia.

The visit concluded at the Longwarry supermarket - the site of two ram-raids that inspired my stand against illegal tobacco, a crisis that continues to pose a daily threat to the safety of all Australians.

As co-chair of the Coalition’s Illegal Tobacco Taskforce, alongside Senator Richard Colbeck, we’ve done the policy homework on this complex issue by meeting with the retail sector, law enforcement experts, economists and health experts.

From our taskforce report, the Coalition has released a set of recommendations to combat illicit tobacco. It recommends:

• Drastically cutting the tobacco excise by 80 per cent
• An “effective zero” smoking rate target for Australia
• A national approach to enforcement
• Reviewing funding to agencies
• Establishing a highly regulated framework for legal vapes, and
• A strong education campaign on smoking and illegal tobacco

Australia’s black market for tobacco is now among the largest anywhere in the world.

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In Canberra, it was a privilege to host a group of seven women from Inverloch in the Monash office at Parliament House.

The women were also welcomed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Hon Milton Dick MP. In the Speaker’s office, they viewed botanical artwork “Banksia praemorsa” by renowned Australian botanical artist and Fish Creek local Celia Rosser.

If you’re a Monash resident planning a trip to our nation’s capital, please reach out.

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Briefings continue on the H5N1 avian influenza outbreak, with 19 positive bird flu events in Bass Coast, seven in South Gippsland and more than 200 across Victoria as of 25 September.

I’ve met several times with Minister for Agriculture Julie Collins MP to discuss the Phillip Island penguin vaccination program, protecting Australia’s native and endangered wildlife like the Orange-bellied Parrot, and the importance of doing everything possible to protect Monash’s local poultry sector.

It is important that we continue working together to protect our wildlife, farmers,

agricultural industries and Australia’s hard-earned reputation as a trusted producer of high-quality food.

You can play your part. If you notice multiple sick or dead birds, or other animals, record your location and call the 24-hour Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.

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I was recently appointed as one of two Coalition MPs on a new House of Representatives Select Committee on Cyber Security and Small Business. This inquiry is all about understanding the threats small and medium businesses face and how we can better protect them.

During regular meetings with small business owners across Monash electorate, cyber security consistently comes up as a key concern. This includes the cost of protection, knowing where to start or recovering after an incident.

If you’re a small business owner, a survey is open now to help inform the committee’s work or I’m available to meet directly.

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Back in Monash, I’ve enjoyed taking part in many community events across Bass Coast.

Thank you to the Bass Coast Malayalee Association for inviting me to speak at the Onam celebrations in Wonthaggi. Many volunteers invested months of work into preparations, and it was great to see so many people enjoying the day. Our local Malayalee community are deeply valued and I applaud them for all that these families bring to our region.

It was a pleasure to again attend the Phillip Island RSL annual dinner, featuring Commodore Peter Scott as guest speaker.

It’s always a privilege to spend time with our local veteran and ex-service community, sharing stories, honouring service and celebrating the mateship that defines our RSL sub-branches in Monash. Your work in our community does not go unnoticed.