Sussan Ley hits the road to visit Broken Hill Tuesday 21 January 2014

Here is a press release about The Hon Sussan Ley MP, Member for Farrer's (the Federal electorate which includes Broken Hill) road trip this week around her electorate. She will travel 1,000 kms by road instead of flying to each location which is her usual means of getting around her huge electorate of almost 250,000kms.

You can also get updates of her movements through her Twitter account @sussanley

Where Australia's 2 greatest rivers meet - Darling on the left, Murray on the right. Finally a cool morning pic.twitter.com/OneTIsUDOo
— Sussan Ley (@sussanley) January 19, 2014

'15 January 2014

Media Release

For immediate release

Farrer Flier hits the road

Local MP and pilot, Sussan Ley, has shelved plans for her regular fly-in visit

to remote areas of Farrer, to instead take on a challenging 1000km road trip.

A combination of the summer’s extreme weather conditions and plans for a series of ‘town hall’ style constituent meetings will see Ms Ley hit the road next week (20-24 January 2014).   

“I am keen to discuss all current issues, particularly the impact of the extended

dry on an increasing number of our local producers and graziers”.

“There are a number of important initiatives the new government is rolling out this year which I also want to outline; from communications and health, child and aged care to improving transport links.”

“Additionally, work is now underway to refine the Murray Darling Basin Plan which aims to deliver a fairer balance for all those accessing this great river system”, Ms Ley concluded.

Farrer residents are welcome to drop in to the following venues,

or call 1300 303 203* to arrange a personal appointment time.

(*toll free within the electorate).

Monday 20 Jan   Wentworth       Shire Office                 10.30am  - 12.30pm

Tuesday 21 Jan    Broken Hill      Electorate Office            4.00pm   -  5.30pm

Wednesday 22 Jan  Packsaddle  Roadhouse                    11.00am - 12.00pm

            Tibooburra              Albert Hall                         1.30pm   -  3.30pm

Thursday 23 Jan    White Cliffs own Hall                          12.00pm -  2.00pm

Friday 24 Jan      Menindee           Rural Transaction Ctr     1.00pm -  3.00pm'

Sounds like a great opportunity to hear what's going on first hand, and make up your own mind what to think about it.

I hope people make the most of this opportunity.

Safe travelling Sussan, that's a lot of driving and a busy schedule, cheers, Jane Deany

Farrer's Sussan Ley newly appointed Assistant Minister for Education

The Hon. Sussan Ley MP

Politics
Congratulations are once again in order to The Hon. Sussan Ley MP who was honoured with being included in Prime Minister Elect Tony Abbott's newly elected LNP Coalition Government's cabinet, which Mr Abbott announced on Monday.

Ms Ley has been elevated to one of the eleven members of the outer ministry, in the role of Assistant Minister for Education.

South Australian Federal Member for Sturt, The Hon. Christopher Pine MP is the newly appointed Minister for Education.  Mr Pine is also the new Leader of the House.

I congratulate Ms Ley on her new responsibilities and wish her well in her new role. Naturally, congratulations and best wishes are also in order to Mr Pine and all the newly appointed MPs.

Ms Ley is the Member for Farrer (the Federal electorate which includes Broken Hill).

For more information about Ms Ley, please see her website www.sussanley.com . I wrote a post about her re-election on 8 September 2013, please see link to that post here.

For further information about Tony Abbot's first ministry, see link here sourced via a link from ABC Australia's website www.abc.net.au, which re-directs to www.scribd.com website page.

Best wishes to all new MPs, cheers, Jane Deany

Faster Broadband for Broken Hill Q & A, 2-3pm 17 July 2013

Luke Hartsuyker MP
Federal Member of Cowper
Image supplied from Sussan Ley's office

Community Event
Don't miss the opportunity to find out more about the Federal Coalition's commitment to deliver internet speeds of between 25 and 100 mbps to all Australian premises by 2016.

The Hon Sussan Ley MP, Federal Member for Farrer, together with Luke Hartsuyker MP, Federal Member of Cowper (NSW), Shadow Minister for Regional Communications are holding a question and answer session to address the very important issue relating to Broadband in the Bush, in particular Broken Hill. Details -

Venue:     Broken Hill City Council, 240 Blende Street, Broken Hill

When:      2 - 3 pm Wednesday 17 July 2013

Queries to Sussan Ley's office 1300 303 203 (toll free inside Farrer)

Sounds like a valuable opportunity to raise any concerns you may have and to find out more about this really important issue for all Australians.

Talking NBN in the back country with Luke Hartsuyker. Labor has said 2020 maybe. #BrokenHill and FarWest won't be forgotten under our plan!
— Sussan Ley (@sussanley) July 16, 2013

Worth attending if you get the chance. Cheers, Jane D

Broken Hill, Sussan Ley and the Canberra connection

Politics
Broken Hill at the Federal politics level is part of the Farrer electorate.  A huge area of 247,097 square kilometres.  The electorate was named after William Farrer (1845 - 1906), a noted wheat breeder and experimentalist.  The electorate reaches as far away as the Albury City Council, and includes the shires of Balranald, Berrigan, Congaro, Corowa, Deniliquin, Greater Hume, Hay, Jerilderie, Lockhart, Murray, Wakool, Wentworth, Urana and Central Darling.

This week I visited Canberra to 

• enjoy some of the city's many 100 year anniversary celebrations
• see Parliament in action; and
• visit the fabulous Turner exhibition at the National Gallery of Australia, which had just opened.

Sussan Ley (left) and me
Pro Hart 'Off to the races St Pats'
in Sussan's Canberra Parliament
House office

It was when I was watching Parliament on Monday 3 June that I saw the Federal Member for Farrer, The Hon Sussan Ley MP in action in the House of Representatives.  Sussan is currently the Shadow Minister for Employment Participation, and Shadow Minister for Childcare and Early Childhood Learning.  All of a sudden I realised that this might be a good opportunity to try and catch up with her.

I had tried to meet Sussan on a few of my visits to Broken Hill but, with such a huge electorate to cover, she was 'out on the road'.  In her case, it may be that she was 'out in the sky' as she has a commercial pilot's license and flies around her huge electorate, which is roughly the size as New Zealand.

I chatted with her media adviser Steve Block and I was delighted to find there was the opportunity for a very quick introduction the following day.

After a very quick tour of some of Parliament House
and a very long walk to her office, I met Sussan and we had a very quick chat as she was heavily booked with appointments and commitments.

After she asked me a few questions, I only really had the chance to ask her one very important question "What does she love about Broken Hill?"

Her reply was the "light, landscape, history, number of pubs and clubs and the people".

Unfortunately time didn't permit more reflections or questions from me, but at least we've met and can communicate via phone for another more in depth discussion another time.

Sussan's website is www.sussanley.com.  Sussan was elected as the member of Farrer in 2001 and has held the seat of Farrer since then, being re-elected in 2004, 2007 and 2010.

The www.aph.gov.au website has a lot of information about Sussan (and all the Senators and Members), see link here to her details.

Stand by for another article in the future.

Cheers, Jane D