We encourage and invite all those who come to Australia to become part of it. We welcome people from all over the world who come to Australia for a better life, to share in our values and culture.

We must not forget Australian service men and women, who are overseas, we are all very thankful for their contribution to our security.

It is truly an honour and a privilege to be an Australian and we all have a duty towards that end. I’d like to take this opportunity to express how proud I feel of our nation and how privileged I feel to represent the people of Calare.

THE Shop Small campaign launched in November has been a great success and embraced by the Calare community.

The campaign was about encouraging people to shop smsall, especially over the Christmas period and support local business. It was a great success, with votes rolling in from across the electorate, commending owners on their exceptional service and products.

I was not surprised with the support Shop Small received as we really do have some unique businesses in our part of the world, with owners who go above and beyond for their customers.

Thank you to businesses and the community for getting involved and helping give business owners much deserved recognition. Don’t forget you can shop small all year round!

THE federal government is working hard to close the digital gap for students from rural, remote, disadvantaged and Indigenous schools. These students stand to benefit from a $6.9 million investment to improve digital technologies training for teachers.

The additional funding will provide teachers of some of the most vulnerable Australians, ac cess to a unique online course designed to better equip them with the skills needed to embrace the use of new technologies.

The government is tackling the digital divide so all Australians are exposed to the latest technologies no matter where they live or what school they go to.