The exhibition has already travelled to 25 countries.

Invest in Australia [read this story]

You can read a statement from federal minister Gary Gray here:

THE HON GARY GRAY AO MP

SPECIAL MINISTER OF STATE

MEDIA RELEASE

2 February 2012

KUNUNURRA AIRPORT READY FOR TAKE OFF

Economic development in Kununurra will take an important step forward tomorrow with Special Minister of State, Gary Gray officially opening a refurbished and expanded Kununurra Airport.

The Kununurra airport redevelopment was made possible through the Australian Government’s East Kimberley Development Package and the West Australian Government’s Regional Airports Development Scheme.

Gary Gray has a special link with the East Kimberley having worked extensively with Brendon Grylls, the Leader of the WA Nationals to implement the Federal Government’s East Kimberley Redevelopment Package.

Mr Gray praised the partnership arrangement between three levels of government and local Indigenous leaders in achieving an important outcome for the community of the East Kimberley.

“This is an example of how funding partnering by the Commonwealth, State and Local Governments can deliver benefits for communities,” he said.

“The $8.68 million airport redevelopment will ensure Kununurra Airport is a gateway to the region as it is the only airport offering regular flights to Perth, Broome and Darwin.

“Heavy wet seasons often result in this area being cut off from essential outside services and deliveries. The airport is a crucial piece of infrastructure which enables people and goods to enter or leave from the region and especially supports tourism and economic development.

“The airport now has the capacity to meet predicted local and tourist demand. The completion of this project is an important building block to achieving the goals that the Federal Government’s East Kimberley Development Package set out to deliver. Developing our transport infrastructure is one such crucial goal.

“With a small, widely dispersed population, effective transport infrastructure is critical to the economic development of the region. The redevelopment of the airport also provided short-term employment benefits for the people of the region. Developing jobs is as important as developing vital infrastructure” the Minister said.

“36 people were employed during this project, including 7 Indigenous people. This provided meaningful employment for this community and ensured long term skill development,” he said.

Event details:

Opening of Kununurra Regional Airport Expansion Project

Date: Friday 3 February 2012

Time: 1700 – 1900

Venue: East Kimberley Regional Airport, Victoria Highway, Kununurra, WA

The new agency would manage the ports of Wyndham, Derby, Cockatoo and Koolan Islands, Broome, and the planned port at James Price Point.

Sydney Morning Herald [read this story]

You can read a statement from Special Minister of State Gary Gray here:

THE HON GARY GRAY AO MP

SPECIAL MINISTER OF STATE

MEDIA RELEASE

2 February 2012

WYNDHAM JETTY OPEN FOR ANGLERS

Anglers in Wyndham will cast their first lines from the Wyndham Community Recreational Fishing Jetty when it opens this weekend. The $7 million project funded by the Federal Government will be officially opened this Saturday by the Special Minister for State, Gary Gray and the WA Leader of the Nationals, and WA Minister for Regional Development, Brendon Grylls.

Gary Gray said the Australian Government’s $195 million East Kimberley Development Package had delivered real benefits for the community of Wyndham not least of which is the jetty.

“This jetty is an important piece of infrastructure for the local region. It will serve the area for decades to come.

“It will be a publically accessible all-tides jetty that provides unrestricted access for local community members and small craft wishing to engage in recreational fishing. Importantly, this project has been vital for the local community as it will facilitate safe access to deep water for recreational fishing, particularly for local Indigenous people. The construction of this jetty provides the Wyndham community with a substantial community asset which would facilitate significant social and community growth.”

The project is one of a number of significant projects for the East Kimberley funded by the Australian Federal Government.

“Already the community swimming pool and residential rehabilitation facility have been opened and we have had a number of other facilities completed such as the Picture Gardens Upgrade, 17 social houses built, hospital upgrades and the Wyndham Sobering Up Centre established.

“These projects are important for the community of Wyndham and the opening of the Wyndham Community Recreational Fishing Jetty will provide a long-lasting community facility for people of all ages both now and into the future.”

Gary Gray has a special link with the East Kimberley having worked extensively with Brendon Grylls, the Leader of the WA Nationals, to implement the Federal Government’s East Kimberley Redevelopment Package.

Event details:

Opening of Wyndham Jetty

Date: Saturday 4 February 2012

Time: 0800 – 0900

Venue: Anthon’s Landing (off end of Gambier Street, Wyndham WA)

Liliwan project leader Professor Elizabeth Elliot said FASD is more common in Aboriginal and remote areas, and advocates higher alcohol taxes.

She also wants women abusing alcohol to use contraceptives.

WAToday [read this story]

The group CAYLUS told the minister better laws to tackle petrol sniffers are needed in WA.

The visit comes after last year’s coronial inquiry into the deaths of several young people from Balgo.

ABC [read this story]

“I cant see an end to the current turbulence in Australian politics without an election being called and the Government changed,” he said.

You can read his statement here:

Barry Haase

Federal Member Durack

February 7 will see the commencement of sittings of the Federal Parliament for the year 2012, and the best advice I can give in relation to federal matters for the coming year is ‘strap yourself in and hang on’. I cant see an end to the current turbulence in Australian politics without an election being called and the Government changed.

As tax paying Australians we are in effect harbouring thieves by way of leaving the current Government in power. Since our collective folly of electing this Labor Government in 2007, they have turned a $20 billion surplus into a total deficit of $167 billion. They have turned $70 billion in net Commonwealth assets into $133 billion of net debt, the highest level of net debt in Australian history. The previous record of net debt was created by the Keating Labor Government with $96 billion. Our current debt equates to a liability of $6000 for every Australian man, woman and child.

This Labor Government has delivered the four biggest budget deficits in Australian history against the backdrop of a mining boom. The annual interest bill on debt is around $7 billion or the equivalent of seven world class hospitals. Labor’s structural budget deficit is double that of Germany’s on a percentage of GDP basis and 30 per cent worse than Italy’s.

Between 1996 and 2007, (the Howard years) real wages increased more than 20%, real household wealth per person more than doubled and there were more than two million new jobs created. That was when we had a fiscally responsible government, a Liberal Government. Now that we have a Labor Government, real household wealth has declined, productivity has stagnated and 2011 was the first year since 1992 without a net increase in jobs. Unemployment has increased under Labor to 5.2% (Dec 2011), these figures clearly discredit claims that there has been good performance on employment under this government.

With 19 new or increased taxes since coming to office and the worst deficit in Australian history, this government takes no lesson from history, they simply don’t understand that no country has ever taxed it’s way to wealth.

Under Labor since 2007, total government borrowing has increased by more than 250 per cent. The rape and pillage of this nation must be stopped.

We need a government who will provide good economic management, a government with a proven track record of economic achievements and the only way to provide the stability Australia so desperately needs is to get rid of this Labor government.

Alan Eggleston

Senator Alan Eggleston questioned Labor’s commitment to defence in Australia’s North West.

He said oil and gas rigs are potential targets for terrorist attacks, and need protection.

His comments came after reports of a defence department review recommending greater military presence.

You can read his statement here:

Senator Alan Eggleston

Liberal Senator for Western Australia

Chair of Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee

Deputy Chair of Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee

MEDIA RELEASE

Media Contact: Shannen Wilkinson Ph: (08) 9368 6633 Mob: 0422 103 772 shannen.wilkinson@aph.gov.au

Old game of wait and see for increased North West military presence: Senator Eggleston

February 1, 2012

Liberal Senator for Western Australia Alan Eggleston has welcomed the proposed increase in defence capabilities for Western Australia’s North West to protect its multi‐billion‐dollar resources industry, but has questioned the genuineness of the Labor Government’s commitment.

The Defence Force Posture Review recommended Navy upgrades to Western Australia’s North West commercial ports in Exmouth, Dampier, Port Hedland and Broome to allow access by larger warships.

Senator Eggleston, who has previously advocated for increased military presence in regional Western Australia, said over 60 per cent of Australia’s export income is derived from mineral, oil and gas developments on the North West coast, with these oil and gas rigs long regarded as a potential target for terrorist attacks.

“Billions of dollars is invested in the North West which needs protection, not withstanding the long obvious need for increased Australian Defence Force (ADF) presence in the area,” Senator Eggleston said.

“I support the recognition of the North West coast’s importance in Australia’s defence priorities, but would not be too effusive until such time as there was evidence of implementation or establishment of defence facilities on the ground.

“Similar promises have been made by the Labor Party in the past but were not honoured. In the run up to the 1989 election, then Defence Minister Kim Beazley (also a West Australian) ceremoniously announced that a patrol boat base would be established in Port Hedland but this never eventuated.

“The Labor Party’s decision to tie the review with its 2014 White Paper prevents any immediate action to protect our borders and resources industry in the Indian Ocean, with their ability to fund the recommendations yet to be seen.”

‐Ends‐

Wendy Duncan MLC

Wendy Duncan MLC says the Kimberley can expect better mobile phone coverage as the network is improved.

She said this will be funded by Royalties for Regions money.

You can read her statement here:

$39.2 MILLION TO FOCUS ON REGIONAL TELECOMS 31 JANUARY 2012

The Hon Wendy Duncan MLC, Member for the Mining and Pastoral Region has today welcomed the

announcement that $39.2million in Royalties for Regions funding will be utilised to implement the

Regional Mobile Communications Project (RMCP).

The announcement made jointly by Regional Development Minister Brendon Grylls and Science and

Innovation Minister John Day, would provide Western Australia’s regional, rural and remote

communities and businesses with access to a self-sustainable and affordable mobile voice and

wireless broadband service.

Under the RMCP Project, Telstra will invest around $106million to deploy new mobile

communications infrastructure at 113 sites along major roads and highways across the State and in

several regional communities. Telstra expects to roll-out between 30 to 40 sites each year, taking

approximately 3 years for the roll-out to be complete.

Ms Duncan said that The Liberal/National Government is responding to telecommunications

deficiencies identified during various community consultations and also in the State

Telecommunications Needs Assessment Surveys of 2008 and 2010.

These measures indicated a low level of mobile telephone and wireless broadband coverage was

available in many parts of regional Western Australia. Of particular concern was the lack of near

continuous highway and town-to-town coverage throughout regional Western Australia.

“The Regional Mobile Communications Project will see areas including the Pilbara, Mid-West,

Kimberley, Wheatbelt and Ngaanyatjarra Lands receive a high priority, with The Goldfields and

Esperance region having priority over The Peel, Great Southern and South West regions,” said Ms

Duncan.

“Not only will the contribution of $39.2 million in Royalties for Regions funding towards the Project

enhance convenience for people living, working and holidaying in regional WA, but it will also

enhance the emergency radio and mobile telecommunications coverage through a Right

of Use provisions agreed with Telstra which will allow Emergency Service Organisations

to collocate their own radio communications infrastructure at each site,” said Ms Duncan.

This is a significant announcement, and one that continues to uphold the Nationals

vision of making our regions a better place to live, work and visit.”

More information about the RMCP Project can be sourced at

www.commerce.wa.gov.au/digitaleconomyRMCP

They were responding to the opposition leaders comments that if he became Prime Minister he would spend at least a week every year in an Aboriginal Community.

The West Australian [read this story]