Peter Slipper (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Since the year 2001 I have held the annual Fisher Seniors Forum in conjunction with the Fisher Seniors Council, a peak group of seniors organisations which I established in 2001. The seniors forum enables me to receive advice from seniors groups and also enables the senior members of the community in Fisher to attend an entertaining event which conveys information to seniors which is of particular use.

The 2007 Fisher Seniors Forum was actually hosted by radio legend Graham Webb, and guest presenters were Lindsay Webb, a comedian, and Senior Constable Mark Readman of the Queensland police—he spoke on seniors security. We had Dr Chris Davis, who is a doctor specialising in seniors; Mr Malcolm Izzard, a financial adviser; Mr Gary Hopkins, a solicitor; and a speaker and sponsor from the St George Bank, Mr Tristan Scott. We manage to attract close to 300 people each year for the Fisher Seniors Forum, and I must say that the event held this year at the Lake Kawana Community Centre was a resounding success.

It is important that people who have worked so hard to make sure that Australia is the wonderful country that it is do in fact receive advice on the array of services available to them in our community. The purpose of the seniors forum is to provide senior residents of the Sunshine Coast with friendly and informal access to free information about issues that affect them. This year’s topic was seniors and the law. It is important when one looks at how the law affects seniors to make sure that they are aware of the tremendous assistance that is available in so many areas.

We also had quite a few organisations with displays at the seniors forum, and information was able to be disseminated. This year there were 22 exhibitors and they were able to provide useful advice on a wide range of issues. Each year the Fisher Seniors Forum grows more and more popular, as word spreads of the value and convenience of this information event. Those who attended the forum this year said that it was again a resounding success. Indeed, people in the past have commented that the forums have always been of tremendous value to the seniors community. We intend to hold the Fisher Seniors Forum next year. We look forward to an interesting array of speakers and another large attendance.

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