Blog

Welcome to Ryan's blog. Here you'll find posts about news in the Keira electorate and updates about what Ryan is up to in NSW Parliament. Ryan also gives his opinion on current topics.

MEDICAL CHOPPER MUST STAY IN THE ILLAWARRA

Posted 7 May 2013

There is only one thing I enjoy more than being an MP and that is being a Dad to my son Preston. Little Preston will be three on Sunday, and he is the most important thing in life to my wife Kara and I. Just like all Illawarra parents, Kara and I regard the safety and wellbeing of our child as the most important thing in our lives.

No matter where you live or who you vote for, one issue that should unite us as a collective is ensuring our loved ones have access to the services required to overcome major injuries and accidents.
The Illawarra aeromedical chopper, based at Albion Park, has been vital in ensuring people get the very best treatment when they experience these critical incidents, whether they take place on our roads at our beaches or across our beautiful escarpment.

Prepared to launch a rescue mission 24 hours a day, the service responds to a variety of critical trauma calls and ensures people in the Illawarra who are seriously injured can access the required treatment as soon as possible.

The future of such a critical community service should not have to even be debated – it’s importance ought to be above politics and beyond budget cuts. However, the NSW Liberal Government is currently considering moving the chopper out of the Illawarra to Sydney, which already has one aeromedical service, or even Nowra.

Five months has passed since the idea was first floated – and to date the Minister for Health has refused to come clean on the future of this service.

This simply is not good enough. This issue isn’t about politics for me, it is about ensuring the residents of the Illawarra have access to urgent medical transportation 24 hours a day.

When I talk on this issue, I don’t think about budget cuts – and nor do I think about elections. I think about the minutes, in fact the seconds, which can determine the outcome in the life and death situations which the chopper currently deals with on a daily basis.

I think about little Preston being injured and needing urgent medical transportation to Sydney for specialist care. I think about the thousands of locals and tourists who enjoy our beautiful beaches and coastline each summer. I think about the men and women who work in some of our most dangerous occupations such as mining and heavy industry.

We as a community fought to have this helicopter based at Albion Park on a 24 hour basis and this Government needs to realise that we will fight again to make sure it stays there!

LOCAL LEGENDS IMPROVING OUR COMMUNITY

Posted 22 April 2013

Phillip Charles Porter. Not a name most people will be familiar with. He wasn’t famous. He wasn’t a man after glory or fame. He was a generous kind man who loved his local Tarrawanna Football Club.

TIME TO END THE BLAME GAME

Posted 15 April 2013

A recent Neilsen poll carried out found 75 per cent of people surveyed are opposed to CSG mining. Participants sited reasons such as serious concerns for our water catchments, agricultural land and conservation areas.

THE FIRST TIME I VOTED

Posted 8 April 2013

I can still remember when I turned 18, one of the things I was most excited about was being able to enrol to vote. At the time, there wasn’t another election until March of the next year, but I couldn’t wait to put my name down and finally be a part of our democracy.

O'FARRELL'S ILLAWARRA REPORT CARD

Posted 1 April 2013

Last week, I marked two years since I was elected as the Member for Keira. For me, it has been quite a journey and I have thoroughly enjoyed advocating for the fantastic residents, community groups and business of the Keira Electorate.

Last week also marked two years since Barry O'Farrell was elected Premier of NSW.

CYBER-BULLYING NOT RESTRICTED TO YOUTH

Posted 25 March 2013

A recent report commissioned by the Australian Media Authority found that one in five 14-15 year old's have experienced bullying over the internet.

With the rise of the internet and social websites such as Facebook and Twitter, this report showed that these young people are also increasingly engaging in risky behaviour that may not otherwise be available to them, such as "friending" strangers and talking with people that they have never met.

THE EVOLVING CLASSROOM

Posted 20 March 2013

When I started school, admittedly around 30 years ago now, I thought we had all the best gadgets you could possibly need. My favourite was the electric pencil sharpener.

I remember my kindergarten classroom fitted with a big blackboard, chalk dust, books, building blocks and board games.

Read more here: The-evolving-classroom-20-3-13

BRING BACK THE BUSTLE

Posted 8 March 2013

When I was a kid, one of my favourite places to go with my parents was Mt Keira Lookout. We used to go up there every time we had an out-of-town visitor come to stay with us and I was always so excited. I loved the feeling of looking down on the whole world.

Read more here: Bring-back-the-bustle-8-3-13

SHOOTING POLICY PLAIN DUMB

Posted 3 March 2013

Ryan recently contributed to a series of guest blogs for the Illawarra Mercury. Here is what Ryan had to say about our National Parks.

Imagine you plan a nice trip with your family to the National Park. You expect a nice peaceful walk, maybe a picnic. However what you get is bullets flying all around you.

Not exactly my idea of a good day out and certainly not a situation I would like to put my son in. However that is exactly what the O'Farrell Government is going to allow.

Read more here: Hunting-in-National-Parks-simply-bad-policy-3-3-13

IT’S TIME TO CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAY SEASON!

Posted 10 December 2012

Office parties, family gatherings, public holidays and New Year’s celebrations. December and January are always jam packed with something to do, somewhere to go, something to celebrate.

This is the time of year when families, loved ones and friends get together to celebrate the holidays - whether it be for religious gatherings, family events, or simply to celebrate time off work and have some hard earned fun.

Read more here: Christmas-period-10-12-12

TEACHERS SILENT SAVIOURS

Posted 10 October 2012

During my time as a teacher at a local high school, I taught many kids who were struggling, in need of help, and flying under the radar. More than that – they were simply labelled trouble.

One in particular sticks out in my mind from my first year of teaching. Gary (not his real name) was in my year 7 class. Every day he was disruptive, rude, and refused to participate in the class. It was a struggle just to stop him disturbing the others in the class, let alone to get him to do any work himself. His grades were always very poor, and I would be forced to put him on detention at least two or three times a week.

Read more here: Teachers-Silent-Savious-10-10-12

LEGENDS IN THEIR OWN RIGHT

Posted 6 September 2012

James Magnussen, Leisel Jones, Sally Pearson, Cate Campbell are some of the names we proud fellow Aussies all recognise as Olympic legends.

They are all dedicated to their sport and have put in endless efforts to make their dreams of Olympic glory come to fruition. But I feel there are some other legends that need to be celebrated.

Read more here: Legends-in-their-own-right-06-09-12

IF THEY ONLY PICKED UP THE PHONE

Posted 23 August 2012

I recently met with a lady who raised serious concerns about the level of care a relative had received at a particular nursing home facility. She had raised it with the Minister a couple of months earlier, but with no response she came to see me to chase it up.

I rang the particular Ministers office and before you know it I was sent a response to pass on to the lady. Good........not quite.

Read more here: If-only-they-picked-up-the-phone

LOOK BEYOND THE BROWN PAPER BAG OF HOMELESSNESS

Posted 4 July 2012

When I was a child, I remember walking through Central Station with my Mum and Dad on the way back from a visit to Sydney, when a homeless man, sleeping in the station and holding a bottle of wine in a brown paper bag approached my father for money.

My dad handed in some loose change and continued walking. After a few steps he said to me, 'that is what can happen if you drink too much'.

PAY A LITTLE EXTRA FOR YOUR SUNDAY COFFEE...ITS WORTH IT

Posted 9 May 2012

Your local McDonalds looks very different at 4.30am. There are no bright lights (or there wasn't before some of them became 24 hour operations), there are no children playing in the playground and the smell of burgers cooking is replaced by the smell of chemicals the cleaner used to clean the dining room floor the night before.

This is a world I was very familiar with. In fact for 8 years, through the early days in high school and to the final stages of my University degree, working when most people were sleeping was something I simply had to do.

IT'S TIME TO REVIEW THE REVIEW!

Posted 3 April 2012

Back in school we were always taught that under our system of Government, communities elect their representatives, the political party with the most representatives form a Government and Government Ministers make decisions on the communities behalf.

Right? Well sort of.

Top Bloke: Ryan Park MP

Posted: March 2012

Ryan recently contributed to a series of guest posts on Top Blokes. Here is what Ryan said about being a Top Bloke.

When I think of the term Top Bloke and what it means to me I immediately think of my father. He comes to mind not because he is a superstar or has achieved some sort of world breaking discovery, but simply because in my view he has been without a doubt a great father and role model to his family and friends - and that to me is what a Top Bloke really is about.

This blog can be viewed at www.topblokes.org.au/blog/top-bloke-ryan-park-mp

Give parents a break!

Posted: 29 February 2012 by Ryan Park

Three cheers to Judge Paul Conlon for giving decent parents a break. Last week he overturned a conviction of a parent who had smacked a child lightly for swearing at his mother and refusing to do the dishes.

In his decision he said and I quote "...it's a sad day when caring parents, attempting to impart some discipline to the little princes and princesses, are dragged before our courts and have convictions imposed against them in circumstances such as the present".

Read more here:Give-Parents-a-Break-29-02-12

Donate for Life

Posted: 16 February 2012 by Ryan Park

While everyone was receiving romantic gifts on valentine's day, a good friend of mine reminded me about an even better gift - the gift of life, that he had received some years earlier. He told me how he had waited for some time and when he finally received his new kidney, it immediately changed his outlook and the way he lived his life.

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