Federal Member for Hume Angus Taylor said his first 12 months in office had seen strong progress on issues of concern to the electorate.

“A lot has happened in this past year and we’ve got on with the things that we said we were going to do,” Mr Taylor said.

“On a national level, dealing with the boats and asylum seekers has been a big issue for Australians, as well as getting rid of the carbon tax, getting rid of the mining tax, starting to deal with the debt and deficit, which will not only be an issue for this government but for many, many years. National security issues that we’ve been facing in recent months are very serious matters that I think have also been dealt with positively.

“We have seen a focus on finalising free international trade agreements which will be of enormous benefit to my rural electorate. I have also been supporting opportunities in high end manufacturing. The western part of my electorate is selling small aircraft to China and this represents a significant investment in the future of that district.

“We have seen strong results on telecommunications. The Government has engaged in a programme to identify mobile phone black spots across Australia. At an electorate level, it’s been an enormous undertaking. On internet access, I have seen something like 20 new NBN towers being set up in my electorate over the past month or two. The first of those has been switched on recently.

“Road infrastructure is top of the list. I joined a roundtable on the Barton Highway just last week in which stakeholders were identifying the key planks for a staged duplication of the highway. As everyone knows, this is a major project for me going forward. It can’t be solved overnight but we are progressing the strategy. In the north of my electorate, we’re going to see new job centres emerging around Badgerys Creek. The groundwork is already underway for some of these big infrastructure builds.

“I’ve been asked about priorities for the next 12 months. And in terms of communication, I’d say the most important thing for Government to do now is to listen.

“Australia has a huge issue to struggle with, that our spending is going up faster than our revenue. While we find solutions to fix this problem, we need to keep listening, to make sure the most vulnerable in our communities are protected.

“I have been delighted with the crowds that have turned out to the seniors forums I have hosted across my electorate – a forum in Crookwell this week - where I have been explaining budget proposals and listening to feedback.

“I am continuing village visits across Hume (in Upper Lachlan Shire villages this week), taking the time to be available in smaller centres –– and I hope to see many locals at upcoming Spring shows.”