Welcome to Cookmail

• Labor creates new highway in the sky over the Shire
• Speech to Parliament: Citizenship and Border protection
• Speech to Parliament: Cronulla RSL Memorial Club and Don Collumbell
• Cook's bLog: Proecting Children from pornography
• Coalition stands up for families on IVF
• Youtube video - Question Time brief

Labor's new highway in the sky over the Shire

The Labor Government has allowed a ‘highway in the sky’ to be created over Sydney, running directly across the electorate of Cook from Sylvania through Miranda to Gymea Bay, with the number of aircraft flights over these suburbs increasing more than ten fold during the past year.

This has come about because of the Labor Government’s failure to require Air Services Australia to comply with the 1997 direction of the Coalition Government to implement the long term operating plan for Sydney Airport. This plan, known as LTOP, was created to ensure aircraft noise was shared and that planes were directed over water wherever possible.

So far I have pursued Airservices Australia both directly and through the Sydney Airport Community Forum. I have also written to the Minister and sought answers to twenty detailed questions through the parliament as well as tabling petitions collected by residents and moving a private members motion on the issue.

Yesterday I took my concerns directly into the House of Representatives chamber to confront the Minister, who then used the Government's numbers to silence me and have me expelled from the chamber for 24 hours. If it takes getting docked a day's pay to get the Minister's attention, then so be it.

The campaign on this issue will continue. Please email me to tell me what you think - scott.morrison.mp@aph.gov.au

You can read front page coverage in The Leader here and in the SMH here. Or watch the video on the story from Ch10 news here.

Read my statement on this issue today here

Shire Export Forum - Tuesday, September 29

A reminder about our upcoming Shire Export Forum next Tuesday week. The event is hosted by the Endeavour Business Forum and will feature a Shire business panel with exporters Steve Britton from Britton Marine Australia and Craig Schweighoffer from Candle makers Ecoya and Adam Ryan of Caringbah Westpac.

We will have as special guest, my shadow ministerial colleague, the Hon Ian Macfarlane from Queensland. Ian is a former senior Cabinet Minister in the Howard Government where he was responsible for the Industry porfolio, and has also had experiences in the small business and trade portfolios and is currently Shadow Minister for Energy and Resources. Senior Export Adviser at Austrade, Peter Ironmonger, will also appear to help answer your questions about the export market.

It's on September 29, from 6pm to 7.45pm at Elouera Surf Life Saving Club. There is NO CHARGE to attend the event. For more information contact Latisha in my office on 9525 8200 or e-mail latisha.wenlock@aph.gov.au

There will also be a private dinner with Hon Ian Macfarlane at Summersalt after the forum to support the Cook Federal Election campaign. Please also contact Latisha if you would like to attend.

2009 Cook Community Classic and Inaugural Cook Classic Ball

This year the Classic will be launched with the Cook Community Classic Gala Ball at Doltone House, brought to you by the Rotary Club of Caringbah.

The ball boasts a three course a-la carte dinner including premium wines and boutique beer, will feature special guest comedian Vince Sorrenti and live bands. There will be live and silent auctions, lucky door prizes, giveaways and much more.

It's on Friday 23rd October 2009, 7pm to 12.30am at Doltone House, Sylvania Waters. Tickets are $125 per head, tables of 10 $1105.

All proceeds support local community groups and charities, such as Sylvanvale and Camp Kookaburra as well as our four Bate Bay surf life saving clubs.

Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.cookcommunityclassic.com.au or by calling Caringbah Rotary on 9524 4850. Tickets to the charity raffle are also available @ the Classic website.

See you there.

Cheers

PS. Thanks to everyone who came along to say hello at the Cronulla Spring Fair last weekend. It was a great family weekend out and I enjoyed the opportunity to speak with you all.

My next Cook Community Clinic will be with a stall at the Gymea Village Fair on Sunday October 25, 9am to 5pm. I"ll see you there!

The Rudd Government is failing to enforce the rules established by the Coalition to protect all Sydney residents, especially those living in the Shire, from having to put up with more than their fair share of aircraft noise. Read More

We have got many great referees around our local community and we need to respect them. We also need to respect the referee of our laws when it comes to citizenship in this country. Read More

A sad occasion for the club has been the recent passing of its longest serving life member, Don Collumbell. I was privileged to meet Don last year, when I listened to him talk about his experience as a POW in World War II and I was able to pay tribute to him in our main chamber just last year in honouring his service. Read More

A few weeks ago I had one of my worst days as a new MP. A woman came to see me in my office in Caringbah in southern Sydney and told me the appalling story of how her child was being exposed to pornography by the child’s own father. Read More

I thank my Coalition colleagues for supporting my campaign to stand up against the Rudd Labor Government’s efforts to force couples to pay more for IVF treatment. Read More

I summed up Labor's failure to answer important questions from the Coalition in Parliament over the last fortnight about its reckless spending which is putting upward pressure on interest rates. Watch the Youtube video here