Of great importance to regional Victorians is the Country Fire Authority Amendment (Protecting Volunteer Firefighters) Bill 2016, introduced by the Liberal-Nationals Coalition in the Legislative Council.

This bill acknowledges and protects the rights of our dedicated, hardworking volunteer firefighters who put their own lives on the line to protect our regional communities.

Other government bills introduced this week included:

More information on the proposed bills can be found at parliament.vic.gov.au/legislation

Please contact my office on 5382 0097 if you need help accessing this information.

EMMA KEALY

Member for Lowan

‘IS that fair?’ I am asked by the ad for equal-marriage-rights.

Recently on WIN local news, public figures astounded me by their naivety.

Responsible people disregarded the essential right of children to both their father and mother.

Marriage and family go together ‘like a horse and carriage’. There is no excuse for naivety.

Multiple accredited publications set out the essential family-rights of children.

Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd apologised to the stolen generation for state removal of children from their own family.

Genderless marriage - marriage redefined by the state - is doing this by statute overseas. This radical goal emanates from the LGBTQI lobby.

Australian parents are currently removing their children from the Australian Safe Schools program.

The Andrews government is working to remove parents’ rights to the education they want for their own children.

This is not fair. This is not sane. Community leaders who think they are being fair to the LGBTQI lobby will find that in the event of the state’s redefinition of marriage, multiple true and essential rights of the general population have been stripped to the bone. 

ROBERT WORTHINGTON

Warracknabeal

WIMMERA residents may be bracing for summer bill shock with new iSelect research revealing that more than 680,000 Victorian households plan to cut back on spending to afford their summer energy bill, with 46 per cent saying the cost of energy will affect how long they use the air conditioner this summer.

The Galaxy Research study, commissioned by iSelect to assess the attitudes of Australian households towards energy, suggests almost one million Victorian households are concerned about their upcoming summer energy bill.

Entertainment and dining out are top of the chopping block for Victorian households, with 41 per cent planning to tighten their spending in those areas, while the research suggests that more than 320,000 households even plan to cut back on groceries.

With Wimmera residents experiencing another hot summer, it is likely many households will feel the heat when it comes to their energy bills at the end of summer.

Most Wimmera residents are prepared for large winter bills but during the warmer months, keeping air-conditioners running around the clock and the extra energy consumed by kids at home during the school holidays using TVs and computers can result in summer energy bill shock.

But if you simply use the air-conditioner a bit less, you may be disappointed to discover that your energy bill has not decreased as much as you had hoped when you receive it in the mail.

This is because for most households a large portion of your energy bill is actually made up of network charges and other variables not associated with usage. 

The survey also found that over half of Victorian homes will rely on opening and closing windows to keep their bills down, but just 14 per cent are planning to review their energy provider this summer in search of a better deal.

While reducing your energy use and addressing your household budget is important, the easiest way for Wimmera residents to save money is to make sure you are on the most cost-effective plan to begin with.

This is because tariff rates and pay-on-time discounts can differ significantly from provider to provider and even from plan to plan with the same provider.

I recommend Wimmera residents speak with an energy expert this summer to find out what options are available to ease bill pain both over the hottest months and year round.

There is no one size fits all solution to rising energy prices and unfortunately there are thousands of variables when it comes to selecting the most cost effective energy plan or provider.

We’ve all got better things to do with our time than spend hours comparing energy plans. 

But what can take days to decipher on your own can often be resolved in a matter of minutes over the phone with the right help, meaning you can cross ‘review your energy’ off your to-do list for 2017.

LAURA CROWDEN

iSelect