Clr Patricia White who attended on my behalf very much enjoyed the evening and remarked on how traditional the mass and communion were. We are very lucky in the Shoalhaven to have twelve Councillors plus myself who can attend special events for the community. 

I attended the Shoalhaven Business Chamber’s Annual General meeting on that evening. At that meeting I was able to speak to a couple of people about how our young people can attain entrepreneurial skills to start up their own business’.

Sometimes it’s just physically impossible to attend every event as much as I might like to. 

During his National Press Club address Tony Nutt, federal director of the Liberal Party, accused the Labor Party of lying about the privatising of Medicare by a Liberal government during the last election.

Someone should point out to Mr Nutt that this is exactly what NSW Liberal Health Minister Jillian Skinner is pursuing with her part privatisation of Shellharbour, Bowral, Goulburn, Wyong and Maitland hospitals. Is this announcement another error on Minister Skinner’s long list of mistakes or is this really going to happen?

Was Labor correct in accusing the Liberals of a wanting to privatise Medicare, albeit by stealth, using their dwindling Liberal state governments to do their dirty work. Something is either private or public, it can’t be both, especially when the private part of the venture will be in charge of running the facility. Can Gareth Ward confirm that Skinner has made another mistake or did Labor get it correct in their electoral accusation?

October is Mental Health Month, and it is over this month that we put extra emphasis on understanding and recognising mental health issues.  Although it is important to reflect in this month, I implore everyone to extend their reflection outside of October.  

This year’s theme for Mental Health Month is ‘Learn and Grow’. My organisation, Youth Off The Streets has, and always will, encourage our young people to constantly learn about recognising and coping with various mental health issues. 

Our services provide psychologists, counsellors and trained youth workers to give our young people the best possible support that they so desperately need, but we still cannot reach every affected young Australian.

Without continuous care and support, our young people run the risk of developing these long term issues and this is simply not something we can allow to happen.  

Youth Off The Streets will always advocate for our young people in their battle with mental health issues.  However, in this month I am calling for more to be done,  I ask that we take this Mental Health Month as an opportunity to grow as a nation and stand by our young people. 

We’re calling for Governments to do more to reduce the amount of suicide happening in the community – new figures show more than 3000 Australians died from suicide.

The new figures show that in the past 10 years the rates have never been higher for men aged 15 to 44. 

Men are now taking their lives at a rate three times that of women.

There needs to be a massive national campaign educating men on how to turn to others to get help. We also need to wipe away the stigma around suicide. 

The reality is many people feel some sense of ‘shame’ around this topic and we’ve got to change that in the community.