Welcome

I seek the support of the voters in the Ballarat electorate to be part of a Gillard Government that will move Australia and this region forward.

 This is an election about who has a strong track record for this electorate - and which party has the best policies and vision and leadership for this country.

The Gillard Government will deliver a strong economy and bring the budget to surplus by 2013.

In health, we will fund 3,000 new nursing training places and 1,300 GPs and GPs in training over the next three years.

We’re committed to stronger borders, an asylum policy that puts Australia’s interests first and tough new laws against people smugglers.

And Julia Gillard believes in a sustainable Australia, not a big Australia, and that’s why she’ll invest record amounts in solar and other renewables.

The Labor Government acted quickly and decisively when the wellbeing of local families was threatened by the global financial crisis.

We are delivering a third round of tax cuts, we have introduced an education tax refund and recently extended it to school uniforms.  

We increased pensions and the Child Tax Rebate. And we introduced Australia’s first paid parental leave scheme.

But many Australians are still doing it tough.  

We believe in doing all we can to help families with cost of living pressures, while working to keep government finances strong.

I have a strong track record of results, with Labor Government support for health and hospitals, schools, housing, the environment and community infrastructure across the Ballarat electorate.

These investments are important because they support jobs today and grow our region for the future.

A vote for Tony Abbott is a vote for the return to the worst aspects of WorkChoices, a vote for cuts to health, hospital and education funding, a vote for the scrapping of the National Broadband Network and a vote for economic uncertainty.

Our economy is growing; unemployment is low and jobs are being created.

Together we have achieved a lot over the last three years but there is certainly more work to do.

- Catherine

Across the electorate, the Labor Government has invested in major projects to create jobs today, and provide the infrastructure we need as we head into the future.

Major infrastructure projects include:

• Ballarat Regional Cancer Centre
• Ballan GP Super Clinic
• The realignment of Western Highway at Anthony's Cutting
• Upgrade to the Ballarat Aquatic Centre
• Western Highway Duplication between Ballarat and Stawell
• Doug Lindsay Recreation Reserve
• Eureka Centre for Democracy
• University of Ballarat
• Creswick Interpretive Centre
• Trentham Neighbourhood Centre
• Hepburn Health Services
• Bacchus Marsh Learning Centre
• Bacchus Marsh and Melton Hospital

Click here for a full list of local achievements.

Schools and tertiary education, health reform, the care of our elderly, the environment, housing, infrastructure, supporting volunteers and jobs.

These are the issues Catherine continues to work on.

Since her election to the seat of Ballarat in 2001, Catherine has been a tireless campaigner to make life better for local families.

Following the election of the Labor Government in 2007, Catherine has:

1. Secured capital funding for schools across the electorate as part of the Building the Education Revolution.

2. Led a campaign to improve health services in Ballarat, Ballan, Creswick and Bacchus Marsh. This included a $42 million Federal Government investment in cancer support and treatment in Ballarat.

3. Worked with the City of Ballarat and shires of Hepburn, Moorabool and Golden Plains in achieving funding for more than 50 community infrastructure projects.

4. Lobbied for more affordable housing across the electorate.

5. Secured funding for major Western Highway roads projects including the Deer Park bypass, the realignment of Anthony's Cutting and the duplication of the highway between Ballarat and Stawell, as well as for dozens of small roads projects.

6. Continues to work hard to make life better for every community across the electorate.