And we wonder how Tony Abbott gets away with it?

For those among us still wondering how Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott manages to convince Coalition backbenchers to toe the line with regard to his punitive policies, here is the answer – by and large they are stupid.

Take Kevin Hogan the Nationals MP for a large federal electorate on the NSW North Coast, who on the morning of 15 January 2015 was quoted in The Daily Examiner:

Member for Page Kevin Hogan said the policy would not affect Clarence Valley residents because, in the majority of cases, doctors in the region saw patients for over 10 minutes.

"I don't support the city-based corporate six-minute medicine model of healthcare where doctors churn through 10 patients every hour as a policy," Mr Hogan said.

The policy to reduce the Medicare refund by $20.10 for GP visits under 10 minutes duration would not affect Clarence Valley residents?

The estimated resident population of the Clarence Valley is in excess of 51,000 persons.

Research done at the Family Medicine Research Centre in conjunction with the Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney reviewed data from BEACH (a continuous national study of GP activity) and reported in June 2014 that between 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013 only 10% of GP visits were timed as 6 minutes or less while a total of 12% were less than 10 minutes duration1.

So if every person visited the doctor only once a year it is likely that an estimated 6,120 visits to local doctors in the Clarence Valley would have been short consultations – leaving non-concessional patient(s) around $33-$38 out-of-pocket on each of these visits.

Across the entire Page electorate those GP consultations affected would have numbered over 15,994. More if one considers that Australians go to the doctor on average between 3.73 to 3.78 times a year and in NSW the figure is probably slightly higher.

Even leaving aside concessional patients within those 15,994 plus visits, that’s possibly in excess of $200,000 extra per annum that people in the electorate would have been paying from 19 January 2015 - before national outrage forced a government backdown on 15 January.

This backdown didn’t include the planned $5 across the board Medicare rebate cut for all visits to the local doctor from 1 July 2015.

This measure will see in excess of $765,000 come out of combined local pockets each year for GP visits within the Page electorate. Across the Northern Rivers region it will total an est $4.7 million per annum.

The Member for Page is clearly wrong in his assumptions.

Of course the Clarence Valley is affected by the Abbott Government’s attempts to dismantle Medicare and the health care universal safety net. His entire electorate will suffer.

Given the the last national census revealed that the Clarence Valley continues to have a higher proportion of households with incomes below $600 per week (33.8%) than New South Wales (21.7%) or Australia (21.1%) it is possible that this area will be affected more than most.

Kevin Hogan has obviously taken the Prime Minister’s word as gospel and not bothered to do any independent research himself, which given the prime minister’s track record, makes the Member for Page a very stupid politician.

1. Australia-wide in 2013-14 only 8 doctors referred to the Professional Services Review by the Department of Human Services (DHS) were the subject of "inappropriate practice" findings. In that financial year no referrals to DHS for suspected fraud were recorded.

Are voters in Page getting value for money out of Nationals MP Kevin Hogan?

THE 2013 Federal Election finally wraps up in Page today with the official confirmation of the Nationals' Kevin Hogan as the member for the next three years.

Mr Hogan will be confirmed as the seat's new federal member at noon in the Australian Electoral Commission office in Grafton. [The Daily Examiner, 25 September 2013]

Pomp and ceremony will trump daily politics in Canberra today as MPs of the 44th Parliament are sworn in and officially presented to the Governor-General. [ABC News, 12 November 2013]

Federal Nationals MP for Page Kevin Hogan's initial parliamentary entitlements claim covers his official first forty-nine days in the House of Representatives.

Not content to wait on the formal declaration of the Page electorate poll on 25 September or that official swearing-in on 12 November, Mr. Hogan began to rack up charges against Australian taxpayers beginning on 11 September 2013 with fuel for his car.

By 31 December his entitlement total came to $104,651.47.

Including $7,701.89 airfare/COMCAR costs for a family member/s.

Click on image to enlarge

Hopefully sometime between now and the next federal election he will start demonstrating value for the money being spent on him.

The NSW Nationals have been whispering about it for quite a while, but this is the first time I have seen it in print

Former Labor MP Janelle Saffin is considering taking on the sitting Nationals MP Kevin Hogan for the federal seat of Page at the next general election.

Snapshot from The Northern Star 29 June 2014

Hat tip to Clarrie Rivers for supplying this.

Did Hogan really say that?!

Letter to the editor in The Daily Examiner on 8 July 2014:

Kevin's tongue slips

Kevin Hogan's slip of the tongue must be highlighted so that all electors in the Page electorate can now realise his comments on local radio on Wednesday morning appertaining to what he does for the electorate were "nothing" and laughed as he repeated "I don't mind doing nothing."

A typical National's answer as they don't have to do anything to be re-elected.

Charles John Lincoln

Gulmarrad

Nationals MP for Page Kevin Hogan misled his own electorate

The Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Anthony Albanese, has asserted that this statement by Nationals MP for Page Kevin Hogan on Page One of The Daily Examiner on 28 March 2014 was deliberately misleading:

Mr Hogan said the government's $1.75 billion five-year funding extension of the Roads to Recovery program was at risk of being blocked in the Senate.

"If Labor and the Greens vote against the legislation in the Senate, the program will terminate," he said.

"Given Labor and the Greens' position on this bill our local councils of Ballina, Clarence Valley, Kyogle, Lismore and Richmond Valley stand to lose a total of more than $17.8 million this financial year.

"Across New South Wales, local roads will lose more than a staggering $480 million if Labor doesn't get out of the way."

What Kevin Hogan neglected to say was that, although the Road to Recovery Program funding was not scheduled to extend beyond 30 June 2014, the Land Transport Infrastructure Amendment Bill 2014 passed by the House of Representatives on 24 March 2014 will put in place new funding conditions for the Program and that funding allocations to councils for the 2014-15 financial year will be determined after that.

Nor did Mr.Hogan apparently bother to inform local journalists that the bill had been in the Senate since 25 March when consideration was adjourned until 13 May 2014.

At which time it apparently fell off the Abbott Government agenda.

The bill was scheduled for Senate debate on 23 June 2014, however this did not occur.

One could suspect that Prime Minister Abbott decided to defer the matter until after the new minor party senators took their seats in the Upper House on the 7th of this month.

UPDATE: The Land Transport Infrastructure Amendment Bill was scheduled as government business (second reading—adjourned debate) in the Senate on 8 July 2014 – except that didn’t occur either according to Hansard.

Kevin Hogan was dog whistling in his statement quoted by The Daily Examiner. The Abbott Government clearly does not regard the Roads to Recovery funding to be in jeopardy.

Although, under Abbott’s cost-cutting regimen I’m not sure that regional councils will be pleased with the level of funding they are offered next financial year, as I suspect that the government of which Kevin Hogan is a part may seek to reduce future regional roads funding.

BACKGROUND

What the Federal Dept. of Infrastructure and Regional Development stated about this bill and future funding on 3 June 2014:

The objective of Roads to Recovery is to contribute to the Infrastructure Investment Programme through supporting maintenance of the nation’s local road infrastructure asset, which facilitates greater access for Australians and improved safety, economic and social outcomes.

From 2014-15 to 2018-19 the Government will provide $2.1 billion ($350 million in 2014-15) under the Roads to Recovery programme, to be distributed to Australia's local councils, state and territory Governments responsible for local roads in the unincorporated areas (where there are no councils) and the Indian Ocean Territories.

The Bill to amend the Nation Building Program (National Land Transport) Act 2009 (the Act) to provide for this extension is currently before Parliament. Following the amendment of the Act, the Government will determine new council allocations and new funding conditions for the Programme.

Excerpt from the 6 July 2014 media release from Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Anthony Albanese:

Nationals’ MP for Page Kevin Hogan has been caught out deliberately misleading his own community with invented claims about imaginary threats to the $1.75 billion Roads to Recovery program.

Late in March Mr Hogan told the Clarence Valley Daily Examiner that if Labor did not back the Abbott Government’s new Land Transport Infrastructure Bill, the Roads to Recovery program and its grants to councils for road works, would end on June 30. 

“The program will terminate,’’ Mr Hogan said, claiming this could cost councils in his electorate more than $17 million.

As Labor said at the time, Mr Hogan’s claims were wrong. June 30 came and went last week with no end to the Roads to Recovery program, which the previous Labor Government funded fully in our 2013 Budget…..

Quote of the Week

Before the last election, Hogan made a specific commitment not to support Federal environment powers being handed back to the states and threatened to “cross the floor” on CSG. However, last week in federal parliament that commitment lay in tatters, and Kevin Hogan voted for the bill which has gutted the water trigger on CSG mining.  He had his one big chance to cross the floor, and he blew it. [Michael McNamara, spokesperson with Gasfield Free Northern Rivers, in Echo NetDaily, 19 June 2014]

Kevin Hogan, where are you?

Letter to the Editor in The Daily Examiner, 31 May2014:

Country let down

"TRUST me, fisherman," the crocodile said. The fisherman did. The fisherman died.

"Trust us, Australia," Tony Abbott, Joe Hockey and their rich pals said. Australia did.

And Australia got a budget of shameful unfairness causing distress and suffering to the unemployed, the elderly, the sick, the students, families, the environment and scientific research.

This electorate is strongly affected.

Kevin Hogan, where are you?

Barbara Fahey

Grafton

How Nationals MP for Page Kevin Hogan is selling his 2014-15 federal budget

While many Abbott Government backbenches appear to be unhappy with the dismantling of social justice, equity and access outlined in their government’s first federal budget – Nationals MP for Page Kevin Hogan is behind these budget measures all the way.

Kevin Hogan’s support for the federal budget in his own words, as itemised by Google’s  search engine since 14 May 2014:

* Budget invests in the future of Page - Kevin Hogan

* Federal budget delivers for Page students - Kevin Hogan

* Coalition's first budget delivers for Agriculture - Kevin Hogan

* Government success stopping illegal boats to save $2.5 billion

* Budget delivers on commitments for people with disability and carers

* Page students, schools and community to benefit from record funding for schools

* New Work for the Dole arrangements for young job seekers

* Strengthening higher education for students in Page | Kevin Hogan

Local media are not necessarily responding as Mr. Hogan may have hoped.

The Coffs Coast Advocate 14 May 2014:

THE people on the North Coast aren't fools so why do our Federal politicians continue to treat us like we are.

There's nothing wrong with toeing the National Party line but surely it isn't too much to expect some independent thought from Cowper MP Luke Hartsuyker and his Page counterpart Kevin Hogan.

Within 12 hours of Treasurer Joe Hockey finishing his Budget speech, the offices of both Mr Hartsuyker and Mr Hogan issued media releases with their reaction to the Budget.

Incredibly both men said EXACTLY the same thing.

That's not just the media releases saying the same thing, but both men were quoted as saying exactly the same words….

EXAMPLE No.1
HARTSUYKER QUOTE
"This budget will ensure the continuation of the current $4 billion schedule of Pacific Highway works. It also includes more money for local roads through additional investments in the Roads 2 Recovery and Black Spots programs."
HOGAN QUOTE
"This budget will ensure the continuation of the current $4 billion work schedule of the Pacific Highway. It also includes more money for local roads through additional investments in the Roads 2 Recovery and Black Spots programs."

EXAMPLE No.2
HARTSUYKER QUOTE
"The Government has made the difficult but necessary decisions to put the Budget on a more sustainable footing so that we can all share in prosperity in the future. We are all playing a part - because it's in sharing the load that we lighten the load."
HOGAN QUOTE
"The Government has made the difficult but necessary decisions to put the Budget on a more sustainable footing so that we can all share in prosperity in the future. We are all playing a part - because it's in sharing the load that we lighten the load."

EXAMPLE No.3
HARTSUYKER QUOTE
"Labor ran up five record deficits and left $123 billion in future deficits.  If we took no action, debt would have hit $667 billion.  Every month, the government is paying $1 billion in interest costs on Labor's debt. Governments, like households, must live within their means."
HOGAN QUOTE
"Labor ran up five record deficits and left $123 billion in future deficits.  If we took no action, debt would have hit $667 billion.  Every month, the government is paying $1 billion in interest costs on Labor's debt. Governments, like households, must live within their means."

Surely both men didn't say exactly the same thing. Surely these university educated men have some insightful thoughts of their own….

Echo NetDaily 21 May 2014:

Federal Page MP Kevin Hogan (Nationals) is refusing to answer questions from The Echo on how his government’s budget will affect his constituents.

The electorate of Page covers Lismore, Ballina, Iluka, Casino and Grafton.

Mr Hogan’s media representative Peter Weekes said, ‘Kevin is happy to answer any questions from media covering the Page electorate, but as your readers are not in Page, it would be best if you direct these questions to Mr Hockey’s office, or Matthew Fraser who stood as the Nationals’ candidate in Richmond’.

We pointed out that Echonetdaily covers four shires, including his electorate.

Echo NetDaily 24 May 2014:

‘Our message on this budget has been atrocious. The clarity of the message very messy,’ he [Hogan] told Echonetdaily.

 

Kevin from Page tells Parliament.....

At www.kevinhogan.com.au the Nationals Members for Page, Kevin Hogan, informs the world that he told the Australian Parliament about the benefits of reducing red and green tape.

However no-one appears to be listening to his 5 minute speech if the empty government benches behind him are any indication:

The lack of a credible audience is nothing new for Hogan, as this occasion where he was informing Parliament of his views on investing in education clearly demonstrates:

On his feet to speak on the Appropriations Bill saw him again in an almost empty chamber:

When he was giving his views on drought support the audience was so riveted by his wisdom that one of the two Coalition members in camera range is clearly scrolling down her mobile phone:

This charade of backbench MPs rising to speak to an almost empty chamber in order to have Hansard record something, anything, they can wave under the noses of their electorates is a cynical charade practiced by all parties.

It is no substitute for effective representation and active lobbying, but then it only has to fool local voters long enough to convince them to place a "1" beside a sitting MP's name at the next election - and with regional media no longer strong enough or willing enough to look further than a politician's latest self-serving media release that is all too easy to accomplish these days.

NOTE: All snapshots taken from videos found on Kevin Hogan's website and YouTube.

In answer to Kevin Hogan's comfortable assumptions....

NSW North Coast Nationals MP for Page, Kevin Hogan, making comfortable assumptions about the March In March: Australians United For Better Government, The Northern Star, 17 March 2014:

"I get that there are a lot of Labor and Greens voters who are cranky with the result of the last government…

We're just implementing the politics we said we would and the Australian public overwhelmingly gave us a mandate to do so in September."  

The reality was that marchers came from politically diverse backgrounds:

@bigemlilorgan

So how is Kevin Hogan making the Australian Parliament aware of concerns held by local communities in his electorate in relation to coal seam/tight gas exploration & mining?

Kevin Hogan has been the Page electorate’s ‘man in Canberra’ for some months now.

Before his election he was aware of the level of opposition to coal seam gas/tight gas exploration and mining in his electorate and, heavily implied that he would progress these concerns if he became a member of the Australian Parliament.

Two days after he was elected, The Australian reported him as saying: "I'm very aligned to values of the Nationals and so the Coalition, but I stand for the interest of regional communities like mine first, and I will be doing that as strongly and forcefully as I can".

Since then Kevin Hogan has spoken about his own alleged concerns about the negative impacts the gas industry may have on the Northern Rivers region at the 23 November 2013 Kyogle Gasfield Free Celebration and, was also listed as a speaker at a Gasfield Free Northern Rivers public meeting on 8 March 2014 who was going to speak about what he can do politically for his constituents.

Details of the 8 March meeting are yet to get a mention on his website, Facebook page or Twitter account.

To date his official website does not mention coal seam gas/tight gas exploration and mining under the Local Issues tab and, the subject is conspicuous by its absence in his posted media releases as well.

There is also little evidence that he is actively lobbying behind the scenes in support of community concerns relating to the gas industry.

He has spoken in the House of Representatives on at least sixteen occasions, but only once in his first speech on 20 November 2013 did he make mention of coal seam gas mining and, even that passing mention did not acknowledge the concerns held by communities in his electorate:

Madam Speaker—I like to have you here and I acknowledge you on the job you have been given and the great poise that you bring to the role—mining and farming can be a delicate balancing act in certain regions. I acknowledge the work done by my coalition colleagues in the New South Wales parliament, tightening up farmer protection in relation to coal seam gas mining in New South Wales. I acknowledge my federal colleagues and our position. Our policy is that water and prime agricultural land, as well as built-up areas, need to be protected from CSG mining. I believe, and in my opinion, so does the majority of my community, that given current extraction techniques this policy currently rules out the electorate of Page from CSG mining.

Voters in the Page electorate have a right to be suspicious of both Mr. Hogan’s election campaign statements and his resolve to strongly and forcefully stand up for his electorate now he is faced with the reality of his own Federal Coalition industry minister’s commitment to furthering the interests of the gas industry.

Hogan postures on social media

There are 90 Coalition members of the Australian House of Representatives.

Even if Labor, minor party and independent members all voted against any legislation put before the House which supports the coal seam gas industry, the Coalition would have a voting majority of 29 in any division called.

Which makes Hogan's promise to cross the floor nothing more than a hollow gesture as his government would still comfortably win the vote.

Kevin Hogan MP is fooling himself, not the electorate

Nationals MP for Page Kevin Hogan appears to be having a bet each way when it comes to the subject of coal seam gas (CSG).

Last year when he wanted to be elected to the Federal Parliament he expressed his concerns about the gas industry and he even went to a rally as the local member in November 2013.

For most of 2014 he had nothing to say publicly about coal seam gas exploration and mining in his electorate and is said to be 'ducking and diving' when approached by the media.

However, he has apparently been sending out emails to some Northern Rivers voters, reminding them of a YouTube clip he has re-labelled the Kevin Hogan Kyogle Rally.

It doesn't count, Kevin, unless you stand up very publicly and push your local communities' interests all through this year on the floor of the House, in party meetings and in the media. 

A private email is a bit like hissing a furtive Pssst! from behind the door.

Hogan is such a craven political coward that he is waiting until after the federal taskforce (which is intending to put pressure on Northern Rivers communities to accept the gas industry) is actually on its way north before he makes his 'gesture' in support of his electorate.

Rural Weekly 10 February 2014:

PAGE MP Kevin Hogan said he is waiting for the announcement of the federal government's CSG taskforce before commenting further on it.

"When the taskforce is formally announced I will use it as an opportunity to express the strong concerns the Page community and I have about coal seam gas in the electorate," he said.

Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane acknowledged last week that he is working on the make-up and role of a taskforce to speed up coal seam gas development projects in New South Wales, despite the fact it is a state government responsibility.

Again Kevin, you are fooling no-one but yourself. Pathetic. An effective local MP would have stopped this taskforce in its tracks before now.

Is Kevin Hogan playing coy with the media over his position on coal seam gas mining?

The Nationals Member for Page, Kevin Hogan, went to the 7 September 2013 federal election declaring his opposition to coal seam gas exploration and mining on the NSW North Coast until it could be proved there were no negative impacts.

As late as November 2013 he was attending the Kyogle Gas Free Celebration stating that he had “great reservations”, “real questions marks” about the industry, and was willing to “cross the floor” on any vote concerning CSG.

Although a month earlier in the print media he had begun to state that he could see where pro-mining Federal Resources Minister Ian Macfarlane was coming from in his support for the NSW gas industry.

Since that 2013 rally Mr. Hogan has been rather quiet on the subject of coal seam gas mining and the opposition of Northern Rivers communities to establishment of this industry in the region.

There is no current mention of coal seam gas on his official website that I can find, he lists no advocacy on behalf of the electorate concerning coal seam gas in his own review of his first 100 days as an elected representative.

Similarly his Facebook timeline has been silent on the subject since he became a member of parliament, whilst his Twitter account makes no mention of his position at all except in one tweet praising Metgasco’s temporary suspension of exploration activity way back in March 2013.

Behind the scenes in 2014 there are journalists, working for state-wide and national newspapers, who are beginning to wonder why he is now "ducking and diving" any coal seam gas questions posed to him.

Safely ensconced in his seat with a healthy boost to his income, part of the Canberra political scene; has Kevin already begun to forget the little he knew of his electorate and quietly joined the coal seam gas club?

PACIFIC HIGHWAY: Nationals MP Kevin Hogan and his November 2013 electorate newsletter

The Northern Star: Federal and State MPs Kevin Hogan and Don Page hard at work allegedly turning “the first sod”

Complete with a colourfully festive holly sprig graphic, Nationals MP Kevin Hogan’s glossy November 2013 newsletter led off with this opening paragraph: Within weeks of being sworn in as the Federal Member for Page, Kevin was turning the first sod for the Pimlico to Teven upgrade on the Woolgoolga to Ballina section of the Pacific Highway. “The political squabbling is over. We are getting on with the job of saving lives,”.......

I can breathe a sigh of relief – Kevin has donned his superman costume and taken to the air.

He has turned the sod on a section of the Pacific Highway approximately 2.3 kilometres long, being built by Leightons Constructions Pty Ltd and, funded as part of the joint former Labor Federal Government and current NSW Government commitment to the upgrade with preliminary ‘soft soil’ work begun in January and project tenders invited in April 2013.

Kevin of course was not elected to the 44^th Australian Parliament until 7 September 2013.

However, these few kilometres may be the only road work done for a long time (if they are done at all), as Kevin and his colleagues have withdrawn $70 million of Commonwealth road funding from NSW this year.

The Sydney Morning Herald 15 December 2013:

Despite promises the Pacific Highway upgrade would be delivered sooner under an Abbott government, projects at Maclean and Ballina will be delayed and funding cut, the O'Farrell government has revealed.....

A NSW Budget document revealed last week that project planning on the Pacific Highway had been delayed, and Commonwealth roads funding would be reduced by $70 million this year.

A spokesman for NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay said the Commonwealth funding had been ''rephased'', and would be paid in coming years.

Pacific Highway construction that was due to take place this year that will now be delayed includes ''priority three'' projects for dual carriageway upgrades between Woolgoolga and Ballina.

''Both the Australian and NSW governments share the goal of completing the Pacific Highway upgrade by 2020,'' the spokesman said.....

All of which leaves one wondering just how much of the $2.5 billion the Abbott Government promised NSW voters to upgrade the Pacific Highway over the next two and a half years, the North Coast will actually see as new dual road on the ground.

Kevin Hogan has some explaining to do.

Nationals MP Kevin Hogan caught trying to rebrand funding

Federal Nationals MP for Page, Kevin Hogan, appears to think the voters in his electorate are all idiots and that this clumsy attempt to rebrand funding, by inserting himself into story, would go unnoticed.

This is Hogan in The Northern Star on 14 December 2013 along with Diesel the wombat and friends:

Three new rainproof features worth $500,000 were unveiled at the popular local attraction yesterday by owner Tony Gilding and Federal MP for Page Kevin Hogan....

"We have no problem getting tourists here," Mr Hogan said.

"But we know from every study we do the longer we keep them here, the more money they spend."

These are the same new features being announced in the Echo NetDaily eight months earlier by then Federal Labor Government MPs Janelle Saffin and Justine Elliot who were photographed with the very same wombat:

Tony Gilding of the castle yesterday announced a major expansion and refurbishment program. The program is in part funded by two grants from the federal government’s tourism industry assistance schemes. The total project budget is excess of $500,000 and the funding assistance from the federal government is $227,475. The balance will be funded by the Macadamia Castle.....

Federal MPs Justine Elliot and Janelle Saffin attended the launch of the Macadamia Castle expansion program. Ms Elliot said the Macadamia Castle is one of the north coast’s most iconic and exciting tourist destinations. In operation for more than 30 years, its animal park has provided exciting adventures for generations of kids. ‘I’m proud as the local MP to have delivered this important federal funding for an outstanding local business,’ she said. ‘This federal funding will help Macadamia Castle expand to provide more jobs and enhance their tourist attractions. I congratulate Macadamia Castle for their outstanding role as a major tourist destination on the north coast.’

Ms Saffin said she was pleased to support the application for federal funding as Macadamia Castle provides valuable employment and training opportunities to over 50 local people. ‘Many of his wonderful staff are my constituents, as are many of the local families that take advantage of the attractions wonderful facilities.’

Side by side with Hogan’s photo opportunity with the wombat, The Northern Star ran this short article on 14 December 2013:

THE Federal Government has scrapped the Tourism Industry Regional Development Fund Grants Program.

The Northern Rivers received $500,000 for two tourism-related infrastructure projects from the program.

It is understood the money will be redirected to larger tourism infrastructure projects instead of the government picking individual businesses to benefit.

"In line with the government's policy priorities for tourism, funds allocated to the TIRF grants program will be re-focused to support demand-driven infrastructure for the tourism industry," the Department of Industry website stated.

Apparently Diesel will not be having his photograph taken with Mr. Hogan again for quite a long while.

Does Federal Nationals Member for Page Kevin Hogan start his political career with potential conflicts of interest?

The House of Representatives Register of Members Interests has been updated to reflect the composition of the 44th Australian Parliament.

Newly elected Nationals Member for Page, Kevin Hogan, has an investment portfolio which includes shares in two gold mining companies, Newcrest and Citigold.

His wife and/or young children have shares in these same companies, as well as in Lion Selection Group (specializing in direct investment in mining/exploration companies, including YTC Resources Ltd with interests in the Taronga Tin Project/EL 7348 in the Emmaville district of north-east NSW), Aurizon (a freight rail company specialising in QLD/NSW bulk coal & WA iron ore haulage), and Teltra (a telco currently re-negotiating with the federal government in relation to the sale of its copper wire infrastructure to the government-owned National Broadband Network) and a company whose name is indecipherable on the member’s submitted document.

I’m sure voters on the NSW North Coast will follow his parliamentary voting history with great interest.

Members Interests Statements can be found here.

Federal Industry Minister demonstrates his contempt for Nationals MP Kevin Hogan

Liberal MP and Federal Industry  Minister Ian Macfarlane apparently wasn’t going to conceal his contempt for a fellow member of the Abbott Government and, unfortunately Page MP Kevin Hogan was obviously unable to find the courage to openly confront him in the media.

Northern Star 24 October 2013:

THE latest survey suggests Richmond Valley residents are against coal-seam gas, but that has not swayed Federal Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane's support for the industry.

Yesterday Mr Macfarlane met with Northern Rivers stakeholders in Canberra including anti-CSG groups, farmers, local dairy and beef industry representatives, local MPs, and Metgasco chief executive Peter Henderson......

"The local member for Page, Kevin Hogan, said to me there were 7000 protesters at a protest - he has over 100,000 people in his electorate - that doesn't sound like a majority to me," Mr Macfarlane said....

Page MP Kevin Hogan said he was happy that all parties had the opportunity to have their say.

The new Nationals Member for Page needs to act quickly if he is to get a decent slice of the regional funding pie

This was the new Nationals Member for Page Kevin Hogan in the local media:

The Northern Star

24 September 2013:

A CHANGE of government has brought uncertainty to the upgrading of the Northern Rivers Livestock Exchange.

The Labor campaign promise of $3.5m to go towards the renovation of the Casino Saleyards has fallen by the wayside with the Coalition now in power.

Newly elected Nationals MP for Page, Kevin Hogan, said all was not lost.

"We didn't make that promise but I really like the idea, as I see the value of contributing to the upgrade of the saleyards," he said.

While Labor's Regional Development fund has been disbanded, Mr Hogan said it would be replaced with the Coalition's Stronger Region fund.

"As soon as their door is open I will have the application on their desk," he said.

25 September 2013:

However, Member for Page Kevin Hogan is good at multitasking, yesterday packing up his old office while being interviewed for this story simultaneously.

The poll will be officially declared today and he will get the keys to his office.

For his first 100 days of office he has set himself some big goals.....

He planned to roll out funding for the Pacific Hwy upgrade and work toward fulfilling his campaign promises to provide more than $4 million to Ballina District Hospital as well as making installation of CCTV in Casino a priority....

It would appear that Kevin Hogan is very optimistic about his chances of securing funding under the Stronger Regions Fund and is patiently waiting for it to open its doors before acting.

Because under Stronger Regions what will be created are finite area funding pools from a budget of $400 million (with no funds distributed before 2015-16), Mr. Hogan actually needs to be vigourously lobbying now if he is to deliver a local funding arrangement capable of delivering the $3.5 million required for the Casino Regional Livestock Exchange upgrade as well as the many other infrastructure needs of local councils and communities.

Until then, the only money coming into the Page electorate for regional development will be that former Labor Government funding which Treasurer Hockey has been unable to claw back.

As for Ballina Hospital, well that is a costed $5 million Coalition election promise due to be delivered in this financial year. Again Hogan needs to get his skates on and see the hospital funding signed off on as soon as possible because there is a clear intention in the Coalition costings that this financial year it will only be spending $35 million in new funding nation-wide.

When it comes to the $3.6 billion Pacific Highway upgrade funding which Kevin Hogan promised to release and the promised $2.1 billion in extra funding – one has to wonder where it is all coming from.

Coalition election promise costings make no mention of this $5.7 billion and, it appears that for the next three years the Abbott Government will only be spending the same total amount outlined in the former Labor Government’s upgrade plan. In other words no more than $2.5 billion in total.

One also has to wonder where Mr. Hogan’s promise to obtain $463,969 in funding for 55 CCTV cameras in Casino CBD is leading, for the Abbott Government’s Safer Streets Program will not be releasing any funding until the 2014-15 financial year and how much money it holds in hand will likely rely on how much is received by government under Proceeds of Crime legislation.

Kevin Hogan - another Nationals MP who doesn't understand the Internet

On 7 September 2013 approximately 46.65 per cent of voters in the Page electorate gave their first preference vote to the National Party’s Kevin Hogan.

Kevin is now the Federal Member for Page in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales.

Like his NSW Nationals state counterpart before him, Kevin has attempted to obliterate the contents of his campaign website.

One has to suspect that, like his Prime Minister Tony Abbott, he has no idea how the Internet actually archives items.

Clarence MP Chris Gulaptis caused a deal of hilarity when he closed his 2007 federal campaign website down, as Pandora already had it online in perpetuity.

Now Kevin is also causing a great deal of belly laughter across Northern New South Wales.

This is the only page remaining on his post-7 September 2013 version of his election campaign website:

This is the same home page of Kevin’s pre-polling day version of the website, courtesy of the Wayback Machine:

Just for good measure and in the interests of an accurate historical record, here is Kevin's website copy of his how-to-vote- card, which is also still available online at Pandora along with his 2010 and 2013 campaign websites:

Everyone of Kevin Hogan's election promises are there on the Internet  for all to see - forever.

Click on images to enlarge