This month marked a year since the Australian people placed their faith in the Morrison Government to continue to lead Australia, and the people of McPherson placed their trust in me to remain their representative.

In the past 12 months we have faced many challenges, which have brought out the best in Australians and enabled us to showcase incredible spirit and ingenuity.

Upon the return of Parliament, I paid tribute to the businesses who have stood up during the COVID-19 crisis, particularly our Aussie manufacturers.

I recently outlined opportunities to further strengthen Australian manufacturing in a post-COVID world - during my speech to the National Press Club of Australia. We can’t supply all our wants locally, but we have to be able to supply - or at least pivot our production processes - to produce the goods we need here in Australia.

There are many ways in which the Morrison Government is assisting industry sectors to do this - including the SME Export Hubs Initiative, the COVID-19 Manufacturer Response Register, a review into Australia’s patents system, and a series of roundtables with the fashion sector.

The foundation of our recovery will be continued success on the health front. The Gold Coast is now home to four respiratory clinics - to assess and test patients with mild to moderate COVID-19-like symptoms - as part of the Morrison Government's plan to reduce pressure on hospital EDs and local GPs.

We are also kick-starting the economy through shovel-ready infrastructure projects. Work on the vital $1 billion Varsity Lakes to Tugun upgrade has been fast-tracked - providing local job opportunities. While the roadworks at Mudgeeraba are wrapping up, with the upgraded Exit 85 Interchange now open to traffic.

Plus, almost $6 million will be spent locally - with Gold Coast City Council receiving funding under the $1.8 billion Federal Government initiative to accelerate community projects and support local businesses.

Getting people back into real jobs is the only sustainable way we will get back on our feet. Our new JobMaker plan outlines our way out of the COVID crisis and the path for economic success over the next three to five years.

You will find helpful resources on physical distancing within your workplace or business on the Australia.gov.au website.

Take care,

Karen Andrews MP
Federal Member for McPherson

PS - to significantly speed up the tracing process and help protect lives, you can download the COVIDSafe app. It is voluntary, and I invite you to do your research prior to uploading it to your phone.

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