I needed Ross with a telecommunications issue and he immediately stepped up to the plate with no hesitation.

Ross was very willing to help me and did not back away until both he and I were completely satisfied. I fully support Mr Vasta and the work he does in Bonner.

The Liberal National Government will invest $32 million so breast cancer patients have life-saving scans covered under Medicare, saving patients up to $1,500 per scan.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said two new Medicare items for MRI of the breast will be available from 1 November 2019, which will help with the more accurate diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.

“An MRI is a commonly used medical scan which gives a detailed view of the soft tissues of the body such as muscles, ligaments, brain tissue, discs and blood vessels. It is used by doctors to diagnose and monitor number of different medical conditions including cancer and trauma or sporting injuries,” Minister Hunt said.

Member for Bonner, Ross Vasta said patients will receive Medicare subsidised MRI scans to help with the diagnosis of breast cancer in patients where other imaging has been inconclusive and biopsy has not been possible.

“MRI scans will also be Medicare subsidised for patients in Bonner to help pre-surgical planning, and allow patients to make the right treatment decision,” Mr Vasta said.

“About 14,000 patients a year are expected to benefit from adding these services to Medicare and it expected to save patients up to $1,500 per scan.”

“Access to MRI scans keep the cost of healthcare down for families and will help Bonner patients in their fight against breast cancer.”

Health Minister Greg Hunt said the Government will also add PET scans for advanced breast cancer as a Medicare item from November 1 this year.

“A PET scan is whole body scan that takes computer images and will help manage and plan treatment for advanced breast cancer patients,” Minister Hunt said.

“This addition to Medicare will save an average of 1000 Australian patients per year up to $1,000 per scan.”

“I want to ensure we support Australian diagnosed with breast cancer by reducing out of pockets costs and ensure their diagnosis and treatment is supported by the most contemporary scans.”

“Our commitment to Medicare remains rock solid. It is a cornerstone of our universal health system and a key pillar in our long term health plan.”

Member for Bonner, Ross Vasta said the Morrison Government’s investment in Medicare is growing each and every year from approximately $24 billion in 2017-18, to $25 billion in 2018-19, $26 billion in 2019-20, $27 billion in 2020-21 and $29 billion in 2021-22 to support healthcare for every Australian.

“Our Government’s strong economic management ensures we continue to invest record amounts of funding into essential health services including Medicare, mental health, life-saving medicines, and hospitals,” Mr Vasta said.

Thank you Ross Vasta – I’m very thankful for Mr Vasta’s assistance with my State Pension last year.

Mr Vasta quickly and willingly took my issue on board and offered to look into the matter and follow up as required.

As promised he contacted the relevant departments and Minister’s in order to have my issue fixed in a matter of days, and did so with a smile on his face the whole time.

As a Federal Member of Parliament with a heavy workload Mr Vasta took the time to assist me, and for that I’m thankful. It is good to know that I and the local residents have someone that we can rely on, someone like Mr Vasta who is at one of the highest levels of office but still takes the time to individually assist people like me in a time of distress. Thank you for listening and caring.

Thank you Ross Vasta – Ross is a fabulous Federal Member. Ross always goes beyond the call of duty on any occasion and is always willing to help us cut through the red tape to get positive outcomes for our clients. Ross understands families, small business and the need to navigate through the red tape of government policy as quickly and as efficiently as possible.

He values individual electors and takes the time to personally answer emails, which often still pleasantly surprises me, given the responsibility and workload involved in being a Federal Member of Parliament.

Ross cares for our electorate – we need him back in Canberra for another term for this country, but more importantly for Bonner.

Thank you Ross Vasta – Tingalpa Kindergarten appreciates the assistance Ross and his office provides to us and our community of parents and families.

We are a small community based Kindergarten run by a volunteer management committee so your support in assisting us is always very much appreciated. We look forward to working with you in the future.

Thank you Ross Vasta – The effort that Ross went to in order to fix my telecommunications issue is thoroughly appreciated.

Ross is not simply the stereotypical politician, and it is because of this that constituents of Bonner are advantaged every day.

As well as my personal experience with Ross going out of his way to help me, one just has to ask other locals about Ross and they will tell you how authentically engaged he is with the constituents in his electorate and getting a positive outcome for them; also the focus he has to work hard to get stuff done for the community who elected him.

WELL DONE ROSS and THANK YOU for the price that you and your family pay to serve your electorate

The Morrison Government is today delivering $85 million towards fixing the level crossing at Lindum Station in Wynnum.

Federal Member for Bonner Ross Vasta said he is thrilled to have been able to secure this money to fix the disastrous local level crossing which he has been fighting for since 2017.

Lindum Crossing is well known to local residents as a safety hazard and a traffic bottleneck and is in desperate need of a solution.

“This is a huge win for the Bayside community, I’ve spoken to local families, businesses and the community surrounding Lindum and they want to see this fixed, that’s why I’ve worked hard and today I’ve been able to deliver $85 million.

“Despite the lack of interest from the State Labor Government I’ve pushed to ensure that I’m holding up my end of the bargain to see Lindum fixed for my constituents.

“I’ve been working with Brisbane City Council and incoming Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner. Together we are calling on the State Labor Government to step up to the plate,” Mr Vasta said.

Councillor Adrian Schrinner agreed and thanked Mr Vasta for his tireless efforts to deliver this funding for the area.

“In addition to this contribution from the Federal Government funding Brisbane City Council will commit $40 million towards the project.

“It’s not good enough that the Queensland Labor Government is ignoring the local residents on the bayside, I support fixing Lindum and I’m hopeful that all three levels of Government can work together to fix this intersection,” said Councillor Adrian Schrinner.

Mr Vasta agreed with Councillor Schrinner and said now that the Federal Government and Brisbane City Council have committed funding the only way this can go ahead is with a commitment from the State Labor Government.

“This project is being held up by the Queensland Labor Government, and by not working with us and committing funding for this project they’re just delaying it even further for the people of Bonner.”

This funding has been delivered as part of the Coalition’s $4 billion Urban Congestion Fund.

Ross Vasta says the next Dorothea Mackellar or Banjo Paterson may be living in Bonner and they should enter Australia’s largest and oldest poetry writing competition.

School students in Bonner have until 30 June to enter the 2019 Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards. Last year, more than 8,500 students entered the competition.

Mr Vasta said writing poetry helped students use their imagination and discover a love for literature and the English language.

“The Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards aim to inspire children to strive for excellence in literature while also giving young people a platform to showcase their creativity,” Mr Vasta said.

“Dorothea Mackellar was only 19 when she began writing one of Australia’s most loved poems, My Country, with its famous stanza:

‘I love a sunburnt country, a land of sweeping plains, of ragged mountain ranges, of droughts and flooding rains.’

“These awards are named in her honor and are a fantastic way for Bonner students to explore poetry.

“I encourage every student to unleash their creativity, put pen to paper and have a go at writing an award-winning poem.”

Entrants go in the running to receive up to $500 in prize money and $1,000 for schools, as well as prize packs consisting of a trophy and a collection of books. Awards are categorised according to year group, with additional prizes for schools, students with English as a second language, as well as those whose entries focus on the theme for 2019.

The optional theme for 2019 is ‘Is there anybody there?’, a line from the poem The Listeners by Walter De La Mare (1873-1956), a famous British poet, novelist and short story writer.

Results are expected to be announced in early September. More information is available at www.dorothea.com.au/How-to-Enter-awards