Bert Van Manen (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today, I would like to pay tribute to the seniors in the community of Forde. It was a great delight that, at our Beenleigh Senior Citizens Centre last month, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull toured their new facilities. Funded with a $90,000 grant from the federal government, the centre has recently upgraded its kitchen and Meals on Wheels office space to help streamline this vital service to many local families in need. During the visit, the Prime Minister and I also presented the centre with a $10,000 grant to update its IT facilities. This was also gratefully received.

In that same week, I hosted the eighth annual Forde Seniors' Expo in my electorate, which I have held every year as a means of keeping our seniors better informed and better connected to local services and assistance. I always enjoy the robust Q&A at the end of this event, and this year was no exception. Perhaps as expected, energy was the topic of the day, with many local residents keen to know what the government was doing not just to lower electricity prices now but also to strengthen the sector for future generations. I'm very pleased to say that we announced yesterday a comprehensive plan that will ensure that we work towards achieving these goals for the constituents of Forde and people right across Australia.