August Newsletter

Well, itâs certainly been an exciting and busy month with the opening of the 47th Parliament, being sworn in as the new Member for Bennelong, and meeting local residents and businesses across the electorate.
Our government has already got straight to work introducing critical pieces of legislation within the first two weeks of parliament, including:
- Climate Change Bill – to put an end to the climate wars and implement our 43 percent emissions reduction target;
- Paid Domestic and Family Violence Bill – providing 10 days paid domestic and family violence leave so workers are forced to choose between their safety and keeping their job.
- Jobs and Skills Australia Bill – to tackle the current skills shortage and find ways to bolster skilled migration;
- Repeal of the Cashless Debit Card Bill – finally scrapping the cruel and callous Indue card once and for all; and
- Aged Care Amendment Bill – delivering our commitments to fix the crisis in aged care with nurses onsite 24/7, improving transparency and accountability, and allocating more funding into care by capping home care management fees.
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I also had the privilege of asking my first question in Question Time to the Prime Minister last week. You can watch it here.
In the meantime, Iâll be putting the final touches on my inaugural speech and meeting with community leaders across Bennelong. Please keep an eye out in the coming weeks for an invitation to watch my first speech live!
As always, if you have any issues, ideas, or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me either via email jerome.laxale.mp@aph.gov.au or 02 9869 4288.
Yours sincerely,
Jerome Laxale MP
Member for Bennelong


UPCOMING MOBILE OFFICES

As your Federal Member of Parliament, I’m working hard to address the issues that our community cares about – hearing from you is an important part of that.
I’m holding a mobile office at one of our awesome local small
businesses, Cafe W. Please stop by and say hello, meet other residents, discuss concerns and share ideas about our local community. Coffee is on me!
WHEN: Saturday, 13 August from 9:00am â 11:00am
WHERE: Cafe W Ermington, Shop 1/48-56 Bundarra St. Ermington NSW 2115
PRIME MINISTER'S SPELLING BEE

- A return flight to Canberra to meet the Prime Minister + one nightâs accommodation in Canberra for each category winner
- 1 x iPad
- 1 x $250 HarperCollins book pack
BENNELONG VOLUNTEER GRANTS
- purchase eligible small equipment items for use by volunteers
- contribute to volunteersâ fuel costs
- contribute to transport costs for volunteers with disability who are unable to drive;
- assist with the costs of training courses
- undertake background screening checks for volunteers
LOCAL SPORTING CHAMPION GRANTS

Do you know a local sporting champion?
The Local Sporting Champions program provides financial support for coaches, officials and competitors aged between 12 and 18 participating in state, national or international championships. Each grant ranges from $500 to $850 depending on factors such as travel distance to their competition.
Young athletes participating in a Sports Australia endorsed state, national or international competition or competing as an official Australian team member are eligible to apply for the Local Sporting Champions grant.
The grant is open for applications until the 30th of September 2022, 11:59 pm.
Any sporting organisations or individuals who are interested in applying for the Local Sporting Champions Grant can do so by applying online, or they can contact Madelaine Knight at my electorate office on (02) 9869 4288 or via email at madelaine.knight@aph.gov.au
BENNELONG COMMUNITY COMMITTEE

Calling all Community Leaders!
We are looking for local community members with a background in community leadership and participation to join the Bennelong Community Committee.
The Bennelong Community Committee will work alongside Jerome Laxale MP, Member for Bennelong, to assist in selecting and assessing community organisations for federal grants.
Some of the committee’s further responsibilities will include keeping records of committee decisions and reasoning, developing lists of community organisations to be invited to apply for a grant and considering grant EOIs against volunteer needs and community priorities.
Please fill out the following form or contact Madelaine Knight at my electorate office at (02) 9869 4288 or via email at madelaine.knight@aph.gov.au if you have any further questions or need additional information.
JEROME LAXALE'S BENNELONG GRANTS BULLETIN
Bennelong community groups, not-for-profit organisations and volunteer groups can now sign up for the Bennelong Grants Bulletin.
We will keep you updated on upcoming local, state and national grants available that you may be interested in applying to.
Please fill out the following form or contact Madelaine Knight at my electorate office at (02) 9869 4288 or via email at madelaine.knight@aph.gov.au if you have any further questions or need any additional information.
HELP ME MAKE MY OFFICE LESS SAD
As Iâve tried to convey in the photos below, my office at Parliament House needs some love. And after two long weeks away from Bennelong, I miss home.
Next time I’m here in September, I want to fill the office with art, objects, and memorabilia that reminds me of home while also showing off our beautiful and creative part of the world.
Please email me recommendations for artists or a footy club or DM me with your ideas of how you can help me spruik up my Canberra office.

OUT & ABOUT IN BENNELONG

Bennelong in Canberra
Every sitting Wednesday morning, the parliament sports club plays football on the senate oval, and each time Iâll be wearing the colours of one of our fantastic local clubs.
This time I wore the bright blue of the Ryde Panthers Football Club and shared with Sports Minister Anika Wells MP about how fantastic this club is.
Let me know what local sporting club I should rep in Canberra next!

Run Gladesville
Thank you, âRun Gladesvilleâ for inviting me for a lovely 10km run last week!
It was great to meet Lauren and her Dad, Wayne, who were training for Laurenâs first City to Surf. And a massive shout out to young Andy, who ran 10km for the first time!

National Tree Day
I recently represented Chris Bowen MP, the Minister for Climate Change at a tree planting worker bee in
Lane Cove. Volunteers from Friends of Lane Cove National Park, along with some Bennelong locals, took advantage of a beautiful day and a Federal Government grant to rehabilitate important land along the gorgeous Lane Cove river.
I even got my hands dirty and planted a native myself!
The grant was used to clear loads of weed and privet from along the river. The natives planted will look much better and are much more suited to the local environment.
It was great to be with such an enthusiastic group of people who care about our environment.

MedTech in Macquarie Park
I had the pleasure of visiting Professor David Gillatt of Macquarie University Hospital at Medtronic Diabetes – Aus in Macquarie Park.
Medtronic is one of the companies that make a continuous glucose monitor that helps type 1 diabetics and has been recently made affordable by the new Labor government.
Iâm really looking forward to working with more local businesses to provide health and other solutions during my term in parliament. Thanks for having me!

Eastwood Chamber of Commerce
I recently had the pleasure of meeting with some of our local diverse communities at Eastwoodâs Chamber of Commerce, the voice for local businesses.
Some of the topics that I discussed were:
- The changes to the governmentâs procurement policy.
- How we are working to address the skills shortages with Fee-Free TAFE.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring
I recently dropped in to visit Andrew – a Bennelong local – to hear his experience with type 1 diabetes and thank him for his tireless advocacy over the years.
He was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 8. Four of the five members of Andrewâs family are diagnosed with Type 1.
Diabetes has completely impacted Andrewâs daily life, particularly restricting his ability to hear, see, walk, work or drive.
Until Andrew gained access to his continuous glucose monitoring system (CGM), he also lived in fear that he wouldnât be able to detect his glucose levels changing rapidly.
CGM prevents many Australians from passing away overnight. It saves lives.
For many years Andrew and many passionate and dedicated locals have been advocating for more people across Australia to receive access to subsidised CGM and flash glucose monitoring products.
Last month the Australian Government expanded the CGM initiative, changing the lives of thousands of Australians living with Type 1 Diabetes.
During my time as a Councillor and Mayor, I used social media to connect and engage with our local community. Iâd like to extend that level of service to my new role as your federal MP.
