OP ED. From Andrew Willcox, LNP Candidate for Dawson

As we are now in the heat of an election campaign you are being hit with a lot of information on issues which are really important to us all.

While we were raised to think ‘if it’s in print, it must be true’ that sadly is no longer the case.

Though I would prefer to dedicate space to positive announcements from your Liberal Nationals Government, I must correct the record on claims made by the Labor candidate for Dawson in this publication (08/04/22).

The 22,000 seniors living in this electorate deserve to know the truth.

The Labor candidate made the claim that the Government “has not acted on a single recommendation of the Royal Commission (into Aged Care).”

This is an outrageous lie, and just one of many peddled by Labor in this campaign.

Let’s start by noting it was this Government, the Liberal National Government, which called the Royal Commission into Aged Care, and this Government has been responding to recommendations since the interim report landed back in November 2019.

We have a five-point plan which responds to all recommendations from the Aged Care Royal Commission and to date we’ve made an investment of $18.3 billion into the sector.

This includes funding 40,000 additional home care packages, 34,000 additional training places, 7,000 new personal care workers and 8,400 respite places and these are being rolled out this year.

The March Budget also included $340 million to embed pharmacy services within residential aged care facilities to improve medication management for the elderly.

Another Labor lie directed at seniors which I’d like to address is downright disgusting and cruel.

Labor politicians across the country are peddling the story that this Government will be ‘forcing aged pensioners onto a cashless debit card’.

The Liberal National Government has never proposed or even discussed such a plan, and anyone who tells you different is lying.

I’ve recently seen a Labor MP scaring our elderly by sharing this lie at a seniors forum.

The Labor candidate for Dawson has also peddled this lie on his Facebook page, and frankly he should be ashamed of sharing such rubbish.

A Queensland state Labor MP, the Member for Keppel, recently had to get up in state parliament and apologise for lying about this.

She was forced to apologise because her claims were completely false!

Here are the words of the Member for Keppel Brittany Lauga.

“I want to address a contribution I made on 30 November 2021 in MPIs (Matters of Public Importance). I made statements that the current Federal Coalition Government was planning to force every aged pensioner in Australia onto the Cashless Debit Card. I wish to withdraw this statement and apologise if in making this statement I intentionally misled the House.

So seniors, please be reassured that this is a Labor scare campaign, without a skerrick of truth behind it.

I want to finish on a note of respect.

On the eve of ANZAC Day, I wish to acknowledge the contribution of our current and former service men and women in putting their lives on the line and even paying the ultimate sacrifice to protect the people of our nation.

On Monday April 25 we will gather at various locations, and even quietly in our homes or on our streets to reflect.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them.

Lest We Forget.

Andrew Willcox, LNP Candidate for Dawson

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