The 2018 show season got underway on August 17 with big crowds at the Perenjori Show. Since then we’ve had the Mingenew Expo, Dowerin Field Day and shows at Mullewa and Chapman Valley, with Northampton, Moora and Toodyay Shows yet to come. Please drop in to the Nationals tent and say hello.
My colleagues joined me on August 27 at the Nationals Moora Community event which was a great success. An education roundtable attended by representatives from schools in the district gave us the opportunity to explain our vision for education in Moora going forward, should we be successful in forming Government after the 2021 election. The Nationals will build an integrated education precinct for the Central Midlands that will include a refurbished Moora College, coupled with a K-12 Moora community college that would work alongside the local TAFE.
We recognize Moora’s strategic location in the wider district and want to make the town an education destination. Building an education hub is essential to retaining a strong population in Moora and promoting future growth in the town. The Nationals continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with Moora students and residents in the fight to retain Moora College and we look forward to seeing you at the Reverse Regional Education Cuts rally at Parliament House on September 11.
The Nationals are calling on the McGowan Government to reverse all remaining education cuts. Labor want to increase their new 4 percent foreign buyers tax to 7 percent which would raise $123 million and the Nationals are calling for an amendment to this legislation which would commit a portion of revenue generated by the new tax to reverse the remaining $41 million cuts to education. This amendment would commit Labor to using the additional tax revenue for the continuing operation of the Moora College, camp schools, Landsdale Farm School, Herdsman Lake Wildlife Centre and restore the 20% raided from the Agricultural Farm Provisions Trust which Ag Colleges rely on for items such as machinery replacement. Please make every effort to contact Upper House members of parliament and ask them to support the changes to the legislation. See my facebook page for further details.
Regional communities mounted a relentless campaign, supported by the Nationals WA to save Community Resource Centres. Labor have now announced a backflip on their decision to slash CRC funding by 40 percent. With no appreciation of their importance, a year ago Premier McGowan flippantly suggested that CRCs were irrelevant as everyone has a smartphone. Those who live in the regions understand that CRCs are the hub of our regional communities, providing vital services to those who may be isolated and vulnerable.
