Sam O'Connor MP | Politician

Sam O'Connor MP

Phone: 0756577980

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25.01.2022 Devastating news late yesterday afternoon. I know many families who love this section of beach so its a big shock for our whole Gold Coast community. This is the first fatal shark attack at one of our citys beaches for 62 years. Our thoughts are with Nicks family, friends and colleagues as they deal with this huge loss.... https://www.9news.com.au//6b06735a-6fef-41b9-9e9c-c14b4a45

25.01.2022 Just up here at the Parliament House deck destroying school kids at handball. Hows your day going?

25.01.2022 Its my 21st... blood donation They always need more so you should do it too 13 14 95 or check availability here... https://www.donateblood.com.au/blood/southport-donor-centre Shout out to Eddie from Coombabah whos been happily taking my blood for years now!

25.01.2022 Didnt get to make my speech on the laws criminalising wage theft but I did get to enjoy sitting on the balcony waiting to go into the chamber. Speaking times in Parliament have been restricted so for about the 5th or 6th time this year I havent been able to make my contribution as your local MP. I was going to talk about my own time working in hospo (and thankfully not having issues with my pay) and about how young people and casuals are hit hardest by wage theft.... I was also going to again raise the unacceptably high number of people looking for work in our area. We need more job opportunities in our part of the GC.

24.01.2022 As I make my way around our area I get to meet A LOT of dogs. Its one of the best parts of my day This is Chloe. She lives in the Smith Collective. She can live in an apartment here because in this rental community youre allowed to have pets!

24.01.2022 Well done to the Arundel State School P&C (and the many local families who support them) on this massive achievement

24.01.2022 More of our 2020 Local Legend recipients - this time its our school teachers and support staff This is a long post but make sure you give it a read for some truly heartwarming stories Murray Gleadhill lives locally and is the Principal of Coombabah State School. ...Continue reading

23.01.2022 Early Fathers Day/thank you for helping me campaign all day beers with my dad at the Grand A big shout out to all the dads in our area! I hope you all get looked after tomorrow.

23.01.2022 Thanks for all your support today Labrador And a big thank you to my amazing team of volunteers for giving up another weekend to help my campaign to keep representing our community in Parliament. Theres just over 40 days left until voting starts

22.01.2022 Heres more of our 2020 Local Legends, people who went above and beyond during COVID-19 Samuel Heijst is a nurse at GCUH who works on the childrens ward. While thankfully the childrens ward wasnt as busy as expected during the peak of the pandemic, in the early days the hospital was full of activity.... Sam was just one of the many staff who kept showing up ready to care for our community. His nominee said of him, hes possibly the greatest human Ive met and gives out way more than he receives Ben & Mickey own Thaiger cafe in Labrador, a fantastic caf and restaurant on Turpin Road. Ben contacted me during COVID to offer close to 100 meals to give to people in need. Given they had lost around 70% of their business, this was a massive act of generosity. Krystal Cooper works in aged care at Ozcare Parkwood Gardens and is a local legend for her care and compassion shown to a local impacted by domestic violence. She took in another family when they needed to escape a horrible situation at home, even though it meant there were 11 people sleeping under one roof. Deb Frugtniet is the local publican at the Arundel Tavern and is loved by many in our community - and not just because she serves cold beers and delicious chicken parmis. She did all she could to keep staff on during the pandemic, even working in the battle shop herself, and came up with strategic ways to offer low cost meals. Deb works tirelessly to support many community organisations in our area including the Jack Beasley Foundation, Parkwood Rotary and the Cancer Council Queensland. Our Arundel and Parkwood community would be much lesser without having Deb around. Maree McIntosh runs Specialcise, offering personal training for kids with special needs. She moved her brilliant program online during the pandemic and has shown incredible care and passion for the kids she trains. Finally (for this post) Byron Bindley is a local JP who offered to help when all the other JP services closed down during the height of the pandemic. I know it was a big help to many who needed a JP during that time. Thank you to you all, Im honoured to do my little bit as your local MP by recognising your contributions

21.01.2022 One day the Gold Coast Bulletin will use a picture of me for an article where Im actually smiling https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au//b25832b6d3e6c20c5db9

21.01.2022 Parkwood Sharks Rugby League Club had their last home games today - which included some players reaching big milestones of 100 or 150 games for the club and Jayden Young playing his 300th To raise money for the club, the mums put together this cake stall. I was proud to donate to the wheelbarrow raffle with some awesome prizes They also had a big fundraiser for their very successful womens development program ... A massive 42% of all players at the Sharks are female! Their ages range from 6 up to 46

21.01.2022 Congratulations to my neighbouring MP David Crisafulli - Broadwater MP on becoming Queensland’s new Leader of the Opposition. We’ve got a lot of work to do holding the Government to account and outlining what we’d do differently. Don’t worry, this photo was before COVID.

20.01.2022 Sam’s democracy dog minding service is now available in Toowoomba

20.01.2022 Ok not quite back. Rip Samarok... Just for a week. Thanks to Kelly from Labrador at the VW Centre in Arundel for your great service!

19.01.2022 Changes to Gold Coast Restrictions From 8am tomorrow (Thursday 17 September) groups of up to 30 people can gather in homes and public spaces like parks. Remember, theres no changes to limits in venues or with any businesses that have COVID Safe plans.... Additional restrictions on visitors to Gold Coast hospitals and aged care facilities are also lifted. Further details should be released later today, you can see all the Health Directions here https://www.health.qld.gov.au//cho-public-health-direction A previous version of this post said it was in effect from today. That was based on the Health Minister saying this easing of restrictions was in effect from now. The Premier since put information out that it comes into effect at 8am tomorrow

19.01.2022 3 Day Lockdown for Greater Brisbane From 6pm tonight (Friday) until 6pm Monday 11 January everyone in these areas will have to stay home except for these reasons: to attend work or study if you can’t do it from home... to buy essentials like groceries and medicine within your local area for health care or to look after the vulnerable to exercise within your neighbourhood with no more than one other person Masks will be mandatory for anyone who leaves their house - including wearing one while at work and on public transport Limit of 2 visitors to a household Cafes, pubs and restaurants in these areas will only be able to do take aways Funerals can have up to 20 guests Weddings up to 10 guests Cinemas, entertainment and recreation venues, gyms and places of worship will also have to close The Government is doing this because of the single new case (no new cases have been detected outside of quarantine today) of a quarantine hotel cleaner. They were infected with the much more contagious mutated UK strain of the virus 79 close contacts of the cleaner have been identified with more contract tracing underway. What’s it mean for us Gold Coasters? If you have been in the Greater Brisbane area since 2 January, you are asked to stay home and self isolate for 3 days (until 6pm Monday) Non-residents currently in Greater Brisbane are strongly encouraged to stay there until the end of the restriction period You can choose to enter Brisbane while it’s in this lockdown but you have to follow the same restrictions One listed reason to enter is to attain health care. In general people are encouraged to delay travel where possible. People are also being advised to not leave Greater Brisbane during this period. A reminder of the locations the new case visited over the last 5 days Train from Altandi Station to Roma Street at 7:00am Saturday, January 2 Train from Central Station to Altandi Station at 4:00pm Saturday, January 2 Woolworths at Calamvale Central Shopping Centre between 11:00am and midday, Sunday January 3 Coles at Sunnybank Hills between 7:30am ad 8:00am Tuesday, January 5 Newsagency at Sunnybank Hills, corner of Compton Road, between 8:00am and 8:15am Tuesday, January 5 Please get tested if you have ANY symptoms, no matter how mild https://www.qld.gov.au//stay-inf/testing-and-fever-clinics There’s some helpful Questions and Answers at the bottom of this page https://www.qld.gov.au//current-/greater-brisbane-lockdown Some good background on the new case and the (hopefully) temporary restrictions here https://www.abc.net.au//coronavirus-queensland-lo/13040436

18.01.2022 Harbour Town Intersection Update As part of the upgrade to this intersection, there’s going to be some changes to the northbound lane on Olsen Avenue over the next few months. It means one of the lanes will be diverted.... The other two will stay open so they can widen the lanes and improve the pavement. There will be two different closures From 11 - 22 November the middle lane will be closed and traffic diverted to the left and right of it From 23 November - January 2021 the inside/left lane will be closed and traffic turning left will do that from the middle lane Here’s what will be involved Moving traffic barriers, concreting and asphalting Concrete saw cutting Use of heavy vehicles with reverse beepers Line marking I’ve been told there will be additional signage in place but please take care, take it slow and be patient while work is going on.

18.01.2022 On the Fathers Day Stall again at Arundel State School helping our amazing P&C to raise money. From the sales I made today, if youre a dad in Arundel or Parkwood theres a strong chance youre getting a car wash kit or a reusable bamboo coffee cup The P&C has a full roster of volunteers this year. Thanks to everyone giving up their time to help

17.01.2022 I’m back. Thanks to Labrador’s Jekyll & Hyde Barber Shop.

17.01.2022 Thanks for all your support Arundel and Parkwood

16.01.2022 Thank you to this amazing mum and son team Susie and Cam for again putting on the Gold Coast Community Christmas Lunch right here in Labrador. Because of them, well over 700 Gold Coasters who might have otherwise been alone, hungry or without presents got to celebrate Christmas Day together. For the last 13 years they’ve been assembling an army of volunteers and a mountain of donated food and gifts to put on this incredible event for people in need. ... It was great to see a huge number of first time volunteers too! If you’re keen to be part of it next year, keep an eye out on their Facebook page to register.

15.01.2022 This is the Dad Bod Burger. Its the latest creation of Craftys Sports Bar in Biggera Waters If youve left it late for Fathers Day this Sunday, enter my competition and your dad could get into one For one lucky dad in our area Ive got...... $200 Craftys voucher to treat the family Haircut and hot towel face shave with cut throat from Jekyll & Hyde Barber Shop in Labrador 16-pack slab of Send It and a growler of Super Hornet from Black Hops Brewing on Pine Ridge Road So if youve got a dad who lives in Labrador, Arundel, Parkwood, Biggera Waters, The Surrounds or Southport (north of Smith Street) enter him below. Nominate here https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MQLMNHB You just have to say why you think he deserves it! Entries close 5pm tomorrow (Saturday) Ill draw the prize on Sunday morning and deliver it to the lucky dad.

14.01.2022 Please keep a look out for Laine-Ella, last seen in Southport on 24 August. More details

14.01.2022 Go to do the siren at Musgrave Mustangs Soccer Club today. Definitely a highlight of the weekend Well done to the committee, volunteers, parents, seniors players (especially after a few had a big night before after a good win) and coaches for putting on another successful Keith Hunt Carnival It was a very special day for Rio from the under 11s too. The club was raising money today to help his family as he fights a brain tumour. ... He got to present the winning trophy and every player got special Rios Day medals

13.01.2022 You Can Now Apply for a Postal Vote Ive sent this letter to everyone in our area. Its got 2 application forms and a reply paid envelope. It should arrive in your letterbox this week ... Its an easy way to apply for a postal vote and avoid having to go to a booth at Octobers State Election. If youd like one of these physical applications and didnt get a letter from me this week, send me a message and Ill get one to you. Or you can visit my office at 102 Imperial Parade, Labrador and pick up as many forms as you like! You can also apply for one here https://www.postalvoteqld.com.au/ Postal vote applications close 16 October Mail seems to be taking a little longer than usual at the moment so make sure you get yours in soon.

13.01.2022 Met Smithy as I made my way around the Brown Street part of Labrador. He likes the job Im doing so he gave me a couple of his special beers - called Smithys If you see me on your street, I encourage you to help keep me hydrated like this too

13.01.2022 Suffering from polling booth withdrawals after not doing this for a few weeks so I’m helping Garth Hamilton in today’s by-election

12.01.2022 Just closed up my office for the last time this year. I’ll be taking a couple of weeks off so have a fantastic New Years and I’ll see you all in 2021 My team and I will be back in here from Monday 18 January. Until then I’ll still be checking my messages on here as well as our: ... Voicemail - 5657 7980 and Email - [email protected] See more

12.01.2022 This morning the re-elected LNP MPs meet at Parliament to choose our new leadership team. I want to pay tribute to the hard work of Deb Frecklington MP in her almost three years as leader. Deb visited our area many times and always listened when I raised local issues.... She made many of the solutions to those problems LNP commitments. Things like knife crime reform and the education program of the Jack Beasley Foundation and helping drive investment in the Health and Knowledge Precinct with $33 million for Griffith University to make their ADaPT building a reality. Unfortunately Labor hasn’t said they’ll do the same so I will keep advocating to get these delivered. Not only was Deb willing to develop the policies we needed, the respect and genuine interest she showed for every person she met in our area stood out. I am so thankful for her encouragement and guidance throughout my first few years as an MP. Thank you Deb.

11.01.2022 Have a read of this very well-written, heartbreaking article if you have a few minutes to spare https://www.9news.com.au//e40ea522-3b00-4f70-a2b9-bd7d6382 Im sharing it because while we need strong border restrictions, there needs to be more compassion when it comes to allowing sensible exemptions. ... Every day Im hearing similar stories from people who are going through situations like this. They struggle to get responses from Queensland Health and have to go through a lengthy process for just a simple yes or no. You might not like seeing this, you might think the Government is beyond being questioned at the moment, but surely situations like this are not what we should be putting Queenslanders through. Its written by Pippa Bradshaw, a 9 News reporter who has been through hell in the last six months. After her father died following a battle with brain cancer, her sister, who lived in New York, died suddenly of a massive brain bleed. Shes currently in her second round of quarantine in Brisbane and raises big questions and issues with the way Queensland Health have managed her case. Importantly, she has no issue going into quarantine. She accepts, just like myself and the vast majority of people do, that border measures are important to stop the spread. But the lack of empathy shown to her, while celebrities and footy players were welcomed in to stay in resorts, is where the frustration comes in. Seeing images of wives and families gathered around the pool last week in their quarantine was a slap in the face to all those Queenslanders locked in their hotel rooms, lucky if they even get a window that opens. Pippa summed it up well: It seems unless youre a celebrity, footy star or the AFL Grand Final the Queensland Government doesnt care to know you exist. With the borders to be closed for some time yet, it may be time for the Premier and Dr Young to consider the unnecessary harm both psychologically and financially, their system is doing to people, who are going through the worst time of their lives. In the end were all the same human beings, and a little bit of compassion could go a long way. We can do better to look after these Queenslanders. We need to remember they are everyday people battling through this pandemic just like the rest of us. They will quarantine to keep our community safe, they just want their circumstances recognised and to have some consistency about who gets exemptions. Thank you to all of the people going through similar difficult situations who have reached out to me

10.01.2022 For everyone required to isolate or lockdown this weekend who’s been wondering this

09.01.2022 The last sitting day of the 56th Parliament of Queensland is almost at an end. I want to again say thank you Its been an honour to come up here to represent the community I love for the last (almost) 3 years as your local MP.... At the election next month Im asking for your support to keep fighting for our part of the Gold Coast It seems like a long time ago but heres how I finished my first speech in Parliament... I meant every word and Ive been working to keep this promise to you ever since I said it Finally, I give my commitment to the people of Bonney. It is the greatest honour of my life to serve them in this parliament. I will remember that every day they allow me to stay here and be their voice. I am here because of them and that is what drives me. I will make myself as available as I can and encourage them to reach out to me. I will follow up their issues and advocate for their ideas. I will serve them with passion and do my best to make them proud.

08.01.2022 Putting up signs in peoples front yards this arvo. Very humbling to have locals support me so much that theyre happy to have my face at their place. Weve got almost 100 signs out at houses across our area so far and its not too late for you to help out.... If your front yard could use some colour, take a few seconds to fill out this form It would mean a lot! https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/25MQNHY

08.01.2022 Congratulations to all the kids finishing Labrador Hockey Clubs Junior Development Program today Im proud to support it and today I handed out the trophies after their last Saturday of games Like everyone, these kids have had their season impacted by COVID. They lost a lot of time on the field but the great team of volunteers organising and coaching have still made the most of it for them. ... Today also saw Bruce Curtis finish up after decades giving up hours and hours every week running programs at Labrador to get kids involved in hockey. That hard work has led to our strong local hockey community as well as a number of Gold Coast players going on to represent our country Well done to all the players, coaches and parents

08.01.2022 The Parkwood Heights Scout Group Trivia Night is on this Saturday 19 September Heres me at last years... Long before we knew what social distancing was and back when we were actually allowed to put our arms around other people. Ill be there this year too so come along to get proof that youre (probably) smarter than your local MP ... Its open to anyone (not just from the Scouting family) and is a great night with good trivia. There will be raffles and prizes for lucky door and best dressed table. BYO food and (importantly) drinks Doors open at 6:30pm. Its $15 and you can buy your ticket here https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/trivia-night-fundraiser-tic

08.01.2022 Well played Lexi from A.B. Paterson College. A very creative use of my face from a flyer

08.01.2022 Dropped into Harbour Town to pick up a few raffle prize donations for the Musgrave Mustangs Soccer Clubs Keith Hunt Carnival this Sunday Its an extra special event because theyre raising money for under 11s player Rio. Rio has been fighting a rare, aggressive and inoperable type of brain tumour. ... That means Rios parents have faced a number of medical expenses and will need to make changes to their home and lives for the future. The diagnosis was only recent too so Sunday is a very important chance to have a big showing of support for this family from our community. If youre part of the Mustangs, make sure you buy a few raffle tickets to help Rio in this tough time Im not exactly sure what Ive bought but it seems to be some pterodactyl drone thing, a Star Wars watch thing and a Bluetooth speaker thing... Good luck!

08.01.2022 R U OK? This year, more people than ever are struggling with their mental health. Since the pandemic began, Lifeline have had days with the largest numbers of calls in their history. ... By August, Australia had recorded over 1,200 suicides since March. Stats aside, the darkness that creeps in for people suffering depression and anxiety can feel inescapable. When youre in that darkness, it feels like youve got nothing in the tank to reach out for help. You need someone to reach out to you. Thats why we need to look out for each other. So today, make sure you take time to ask your friends and family how theyre doing. Dont feel like youve got to do it all but by reaching out to someone with a simple R U OK? its a big start on the road to getting help. If you need help yourself, dont hesitate to call Lifeline any time day or night on 13 11 44. Its ok to not be ok.

07.01.2022 Beautiful day to visit Queens Cricket Club in Chirn Park and I didnt leave empty handed... If you dont have a ute, report trolleys here https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au//report-a-problem-roads-f

05.01.2022 Spent the afternoon getting around The Surrounds. Thanks to everyone who had a chat with me on their doorstep or over their fence. This is a very special (and very new) community and Im proud to represent you.

05.01.2022 Well done to the hundreds of local school kids who entered my Christmas Card Competition I could see you all put in a big effort with your art so I made sure to spend time going through them. I’ll announce the winners of the LEGO and deliver them to the schools once I’ve got the cards printed!

05.01.2022 Parkwood Heights Scout Group Trivia is back It’s on this Saturday (14 November) night at their hall on Napper Road. Doors open at 6:30pm, trivia starts at 7pm... It’s always a great night and raises much needed money for the amazing Scouts program they run. Tickets are $15, you can buy them here https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/trivia-night-by-parkwood-he It’s adults-only too, kids have to sit this one out

05.01.2022 The loss of a parent at any time is devastating. COVID-19 means many people have missed out on going to the funerals of their loved ones but we need clearer guidelines and some compassion when it comes to deciding who can and cant attend them. Sarah is missing out on going to her fathers funeral this afternoon. ... Heres the full story. Id strongly encourage you to read it before commenting https://www.9news.com.au//6439f010-02e0-40b8-b507-a5a754c2 Sarah currently lives in Canberra. They havent had a COVID case in over two months there but the whole territory has been deemed a hotspot. Sarah spent last week trying to get an exemption to see her father in his dying days. It actually took her over 20 days to hear anything from Queensland Health before travelling here. He died while she was in hotel quarantine. Now, shes been refused admittance to his funeral and will only be allowed to a private viewing afterwards. Sarah has not come here from overseas, from Melbourne, from Victoria generally, not even from Sydney. Shes from a place that hasnt had a new case in over 60 days. Im hearing cases like this every day. Situations like this are where some compassion and commonsense need to be shown.

04.01.2022 Cutting 90% of Your Household Energy Use Just With Smarter House Design Tonight I went along to the certification of the first Passive House in Toowoomba. It’s been done by Scott and Madonna of LAB Design and is the only one of its kind on the market in Australia and 27th overall.... What does that all mean? It’s a type of house design focussed on human comfort that started in Europe by a German physicist. Over there, low temperatures mean they need energy efficient buildings that hold the heat in. Here in Australia, with our extreme heat and dust, this methodology could really help the way we live and cut our power bills and carbon emissions. Around 20% of Australia’s emissions are from homes and buildings. This type of design actually saves over 8 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. That’s because Passive House buildings use a massive 90% less energy compared to conventional buildings. Their overall build cost is only around 5% higher than normal so that means it easily works out cheaper over the lifespan. The air conditioning savings alone would make that up in just the first few years. This whole house can actually be heated or cooled with just a single small 3kW system! There’s a breathable membrane around the frame of the building which makes it 150 times more airtight than a normal house. A vent and fan system (which uses minimal power) keeps the air flowing and fresh. It’s a great example of a practical way of addressing climate change by reducing emissions in an affordable way - in fact it actually saves money. This concept makes a lot of sense so I’ll be looking into how we could get more of these Passive House standards and methodologies across Queensland. Have a flick through the photos and read the handy information cards if you want to know more

04.01.2022 With work on the Harbour Town intersection finally starting, we need to line up the next upgrade. That needs to be the intersection at the Gold Coast Highway and Pine Ridge Road/Captain Cook Drive. I first raised this nightmare of an intersection just after you elected me as your local MP and Ill keep pushing to get this project done.... Council have put up $5.2 million but we could get a much better outcome if the State came onboard too.

04.01.2022 One last thank you to my amazing team Our campaign was powered by volunteers. To all of you who helped out around the office, letterboxing tens of thousands of flyers, making phone calls, having a sign in your yard, on the polling booths, waving at traffic and everything else we got up to in between - thank you ... It was a huge effort and I’m so humbled to have such a big number of people give up their time to help keep me representing our area.

03.01.2022 Helping Support The Girls Australia with a new awning for their bra-fitting/distribution van This van is called Braberela and it gets around our area helping women who are homeless or doing it tough. STGA support them and supply free bras, sanitary items, new underwear and toiletries. ... They help over 250 local women a month and their office is based right here in Labrador at the Community Hub on Billington Street. Its set up to be a practical distribution hub and a safe space for the women who need it A dressing room for privacy during their fittings Storage space for hundreds of bras, hygiene products and sunscreen A comfortable area to sit down and have a chat Theyve got a storage facility in Southport too. The ladies volunteering today were all from our area - Labrador and Biggera Waters! Inside theyve got 30,000 bras 5,000 sanitary products 1,000 of toiletry products And much more! Their director Jane said something to me a few years ago when I first met her thats always stuck with me... Women can make a difference in their lives if we give them the right tools. Thank you Jane and your amazing team for all of the work you do. It makes a real difference. My office (102 Imperial Parade) is also a collection point for items they need too Today Jane mentioned they run lowest on shampoo, conditioners and soap, so drop them in!

03.01.2022 Happy Fathers Day! Heres my dad drawing our competition for the Craftys voucher, Jekyll and Hyde Barber haircut/shave and Black Hops beers.

03.01.2022 The LNPs Hooning Policy 100 covert CCTV cameras for problem areas New laws targeting hooning gangs... Tyre-shredding road surfacing for hotspots. This quickly erodes rubber when a car does a burn-out or skid but has no impact on regular driving - Brisbane City Council successfully trialled it In the meantime, keep reporting every instance of hooning you can - the more reports we get the better the chance of the police being able to take action. Call the Hoon Line on 134 666 Report online here https://forms.police.qld.gov.au/launch/TrafficIncident/

03.01.2022 Lockdown Over, 10 Days of Restrictions The only new case detected over the weekend was the hotel cleaner’s husband who has been in quarantine since 7 January. As of 6pm tonight (Monday 11 Jan) face masks have to be worn in certain places in Greater Brisbane (that’s Brisbane, Logan, Redlands and Moreton Bay).... Important Any Gold Coaster who has been in Greater Brisbane at any time since 7am on 2 January also has to wear a mask for 10 days. You must carry the face mask with you at all times and wear it in indoor spaces No, you don’t have to wear it at home Queensland Health lists these examples Shopping centres, supermarkets, retail outlets and indoor markets Hospitals and aged care facilities Restaurants and cafes, except when you are eating or drinking Churches and places of worship Libraries Indoor recreational facilities and gyms Indoor workplaces (where you can't socially distance) Airport terminals and on your flight Public transport Taxis and rideshare vehicles They also strongly recommend wearing a face mask outdoors when you are unable to stay more than 1.5 metres from other people, such as transport stops, busy walkways and thoroughfares. Children under 12 years old and people affected by a medical condition or disability are exempt. More on the new case here https://www.health.qld.gov.au//confirmed-positive-case-lin More general information, including useful Questions and Answers at the bottom, here https://www.qld.gov.au//easing-greater-brisbane-restrictio

02.01.2022 Treating the office team to a late lunch of Reuben sandwiches from Chirn Parks Downtown Deli

02.01.2022 Harbour Town Intersection Upgrade Major work is finally underway. Itll be going for about another year so if you drive through this often (which is most of us) here are some key details You can no longer do u-turns when travelling along Brisbane Road from the east or west ... Ive asked for some extra signage to make this clearer so drivers dont get caught out - thanks to everyone whos raised this with me. Therell be some lane closures, reduced speed limits and detours over the course of the construction. Most of the work will happen at night from 7pm to 5am, Sunday to Thursday. There will be some pavement and drainage work during the day from 6am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday. Pedestrian access will also be restricted. You will be redirected safely but PLEASE have a little more caution because these are very busy roads. The upgrade will include Installation of additional right turn lanes on both legs of Gold Coast Highway/Brisbane Road Extension of the right turn lanes on all four legs of the intersection Improving medians on left turn lanes on the Gold Coast Highway (both approaches) and on Olsen Ave New cycle lanes Pedestrian fencing Ill keep everyone updated with any new information that comes out during construction. Just make sure you be patient, allow a little more time than normal to get through that area for now

02.01.2022 Santa couldn’t make it to lunch this year. An Elvis impersonator is the next best thing. Here he is just before he left the building.

02.01.2022 A massive congratulations to Jordan McGrath from Coombabah State High School Today he was 1 of just 5 students from across Qld acknowledged with an Outstanding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Senior STEM Student Award. Jordan was presented with this prestigious prize at todays live-streamed, very COVID-safe ceremony for the 2020 Peter Doherty Awards and I was honoured to visit the school to watch it. ... Its named after Professor Peter Doherty, an iconic Queenslander. He was educated in the state school system then at UQ, before undertaking Nobel prize-winning research at ANU. This groundbreaking work looked at how the cells of our immune system protect us, discovering how they identify their targets. Professor Doherty also recently went viral on Twitter for accidentally tweeting Dan Murphy opening hours to his over 50,000 followers instead of googling it... Much more relatable for most of us!

01.01.2022 Spot your MP! I just managed to carve out a space at my desk to get some work done Thank you again to everyone who’s donated to the Friends With Dignity Toy Drive so far. What an incredible effort by our community.... You’ve got until 7 December to get donations to my office at 102 Imperial Parade, Labrador

01.01.2022 In the bus heading up to Parliament to show around the Arundel State School student leaders

01.01.2022 Warning - this post is about state government finances. Thats not the most exciting topic and it is a little long but this is important... Yesterday the Queensland Treasurer handed down the COVID-19 Fiscal and Economic Review. Its the closest thing weve had to a budget this year and its nowhere near as detailed as a proper budget so it leaves us with a lot of questions ... Here are some key figures Queenslands debt is the highest of any state in Australia, projected to reach $102 billion this year This year well see a $13 billion deficit Revenue was written down $6.7 billion including coal royalties down $1.5 billion Queensland has lost 138,000 jobs since the pandemic hit and theres predicted to be over 70,000 more lost The states unemployment is forecast to jump from 6.4% to 8.5% this financial year (Bonneys was already at 9.6% pre-covid so this is even worse for our area) These arent good numbers and you might be thinking they are because of the impact of COVID. Not quite - in many of these metrics Queensland was one of, if not the, worst performing states before coronavirus. We were forecast to have a $92 billion debt The unemployment rate was regularly high compared to other parts of Australia The Government already slugged us with 9 new or increased taxes - bringing in billions of dollars Business confidence was regularly low Yesterday the Treasurer also didnt rule out bringing in any new taxes past June next year. More tax to pay is the last thing struggling people and businesses need. In fact, before the election we really have no guarantees of how Labor would manage our finances. Theyve said theyll present a budget on 30 November if they win the 31 October election. Heres the thing though... You cant prepare a state budget in a few weeks, especially one as complex as this. So why couldnt one have been released this month, before the election? It was originally meant to be back in April. We should give some leniency because of COVID but how can one ready to go so soon after an election? Clearly they already have some plans, they just arent sharing them before you vote. Before you say what would the LNP do differently? - weve listed our plan with many of our economic priorities and commitments here https://www.deb2020.com.au/our-plan/ This pandemic will be over one day and its going to take years for our economy to recover. We need to have a Government that can manage the rebound out of this recession. This Government has failed to manage our economy for the last nearly 6 years, long before COVID, so theyre not up to doing it now or for the next 4 years.