Welcome to my first newsletter for 2008.  I hope you managed to take a good break over the summer and wish you all the best for the New Year.  I now hold the shadow portfolio responsibility for Treasury so the newsletter, along with our community news, will also feature economic pieces.  If you wish to follow more of the economic debate you can also find video, audio files and transcripts of interviews on my website: to visit the Media Centre click here. I look forward to receiving your feedback on local and economic issues throughout the year.
If you're up early on Sunday, I'll be interviewed about economic issues on the ABC Insiders programme with Barry Cassidy.

Read on about:
Wayne Swan wrong to talk down the economy
Banks and rates
Letter to Kevin Rudd about the 2020 Summit
St Vincents celebrates 150 years
Bondi Beach heritage
Facebook

Treasurer Swan wrong to talk down our economy
This week I wrote in The Australian about the incorrect and misleading claims the new Government has been making about the economy.  Mr Swan and Mr Rudd are wilfully misrepresenting our economic history, talking down our economy and talking up inflation. I still cannot believe that any Treasurer would, the day before the Reserve Bank met to consider interest rates, proclaim "The inflation genie is out of the bottle!" The truth is that while inflation is always a challenge, we have kept inflation within the RBA's target band over the last twelve years. Importantly, we have to remember that inflation targeting is only one of our economic objectives. Full employment is a key objective as well, as is economic growth and a stable currency. The achievement of Australia has been to have, relative to many other comparable developed countries, a combination of strong economic growth, manageable inflation and high employment.
To read the The Australian oped click here

Banks should be more transparent about rate rises
In January the big banks caused concern by hiking interest rates independent of any movement in the official cash rate by the Reserve Bank. While Banks are able to set the price of their products and services just like any other firm, the Treasurer missed an opportunity to call on the Banks to demonstrate, transparently why it was that their rate hikes were indeed, as they claimed, simply a recovery of increased borrowing costs caused by the sub-prime crisis.
To read my oped in The Australian about this click here. 

Letter to PM Kevin Rudd about Summit 2020
Just this week I wrote to the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd urging him to reconsider the date for the proposed Summit 2020 of 1000 Australians described by him as the "best and brightest" to a date which does not conflict with the Jewish Festival of Passover. It is, frankly, incredible that a Summit of this kind would be set on a weekend which is likely to preclude the attendance of most Jewish Australians. 
To read a full copy of the letter click here

St Vincents Hospital 150th Anniversary
I recently attended the closing celebrations for the St Vincent’s hospital Sesquicentenary year of celebrations. The anniversary also marked 150 years of the Sisters of Charity and Catholic health care in Australia. The contribution of St Vincent’s, the Sisters of Charity and Catholic health care in Australia has been enormous and something for which our community is immensely grateful.
The celebrations have been a fitting honour for the truly remarkable achievement of providing Charity, Care and Compassion for over 150 years.
To see photos from the day and the full release click here.

Bondi Heritage Listing
Earlier this year I was delighted to welcome, following my nomination late last year, BondiBeach - a treasured Australian icon and a very special part of our backyard – as a recipient of the nation’s highest heritage honour.
However, it's time for the Rudd Government to match words with actions and confirm it will also honour the funding commitments I secured for the surf life saving clubs. This includes
·$1.7 million grant towards the rebuilding of North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club, and
·over $200,000 for the renovation of Bondi Surf Club.
We need a rock solid commitment from Labor to deliver the funding to these vital institutions.

Updating the website and Facebook
We have continued to update our website with a new and improved Media Centre which includes videos, audio, opinion pieces and all of our latest transcripts. To visit the Media Centre click here
I have also contined my foray into the world of blogging with the expansion of my facebook profile which can be found here

Yours sincerely,

Malcolm Turnbull