Member for Calare John Cobb has paid tribute to Parkes after announcing his retirement from politics last Saturday. Mr Cobb, aged 66, was first elected into the federal parliament in 2001 and due to boundary changes, the shires of Forbes and Parkes have been the only two shires to remain in his electorate for his entire time as member for Calare.

Ironically, this changed on February 25th when the new federal electorate boundaries of NSW were updated, with
Forbes and Parkes now being a part of the Riverina electorate. Mr Cobb will continue to represent Forbes and Parkes until he officially retires three weeks before the election, which is yet to be announced. He said he would be sad to leave the representation of Forbes and Parkes, as they have been with him throughout his career. “Forbes and Parkes
have been absolutely phenomenal. I look them as my security blanket in politics, the place that I know I will hear what I need to hear, without fear or favour.”

In his 15 years overseeing Calare, Mr Cobb said a personal highlight was the way the Coalition dealt with the 10-year drought throughout the start of the 2000s. “In 2007 I got John Howard [then Prime Minister] and John Anderson [then Deputy Prime Minister] to a station just west of Forbes,” he said; “There was a big gathering there and Mr Howard was in high demand and I remember saying to him, ‘there’s a couple here who want to talk to you, John, about family and the mental side of drought. They lost a son and they lost a neighbour’ and he said, ‘absolutely’ and I took him away and introduced them to him and I can still see him walking under a tree with them, with his arm around both of them, and he gave them 15 minutes. That’s a long time for a Prime Minister, and after that he introduced a mental health package for drought affected farmers.”

Mr Cobb was also happy with the aged care infrastructure he has been able to bring and hopes to see a new dam in the Central West built before he retires. “It has been an incredible opportunity and I’d like to thank Calare for their generosity, hospitality and patience, my family for their support and my National party colleagues for their hard work.” If it is a big thing to enter the Australian Federal Parliament, it is also a big thing to leave it and we wish
John all the best with the future.

Last Wednesday staff at Parkes Hospital gathered together to sign a special Patient Pledge and share a barbecue. The pledge is aimed to sooth patients’ fears and empower them with the knowledge of what to expect from care provided at the hospital.

Parkes Health Service General Manager, Liz Mitchell, said staff have been invited to sign the pledge to show their commitment to providing care to patients in a respectful, caring and timely way. “Our patients need to be at the very heart of everything that we do and every decision that we make,” she said; “the pledge sets expectations of our staff behaviour and demonstrates our commitment to patient centred care.”

Beth Masling, Manager of Living Well Together and Corporate Leadership, who was also present at the signing said; “For us it’s exciting to showcase care we’re proud to provide and demonstrate our vow of care to the public.” The signing is part of a broader strategy for the Health District called ‘living well together’. Western NSW LHD Chief Executive, Scott McLachlan, said that the living well together strategy aims to engage staff to achieve excellent patient care and improve the patient experience.

“The pledge will confirm to patients that their caregiver is committed to taking wonderful care of them which helps
reduce their anxiety. Their family is also comforted to know that their loved ones are in good hands” he said, “From our staff perspective, signing the pledge sets the standard of care that is expected of themalways.

It demonstrates the difference that making a commitment like this makes in the work that they do every day.” Patients will have access to the pledge at their bedside and are encouraged to speak to the person in charge of the unit if they are concerned about their care.

Whether you need a car to scoot around town to grab the shopping, want to head to the city for a weekend away or require a big truck to move furniture around, Thrifty have a wide range of vehicles to choose from to suit you.

March is always a busy time of year and this month is going to be jam-packed with events- and popular events require transport for lots of people! Thrifty can offer a 12 seater bus to get you and your friends around town and for this month only you can hire it for just $130, a saving of $50!

Conditions apply and if you are an NRMA member you could get an extra 15% knocked off along with any other vehicle you hire. Come in and see Tony and the friendly team at Thrifty and see what they can do for you this month. Give them a call on 6862 1088 or stop at the shop at 131 Clarinda Street.

When it comes to engagement rings, everyone has different ideas on the perfect one for them. Our team at Nangar Gems have some great tips to help you and your loved one pick the right ring for you.

First and foremost it’s important to set a budget and stick to it! We always strive to meet the budget expectations of our clients. Being a manufacturing jeweller gives us greater flexibility in our prices to meet all sorts of styles, tastes and budgets. We generally offer some basic diamond training to our clients regarding the four C’s (cut, colour, clarity and carat) so they are more informed on what to look out for when making their selection.

At Nangar Gems we believe in quality over size and would generally advise our clients to avoid carbon. A carbon flaw is a blemish present within a diamond, usually seen as a black spot. These spots are very noticeable and therefore undesirable imperfections for your perfect ring. We also advise against hollowed out bands and small claws. These tend to wear our quickly and need constant repair, which can eat into your budget!

If you’re looking to surprise her, the three things you need to know are;
• Her size (if you don’t know bring one of her rings in).
• What type of gold she likes.
• What shape stone or design she likes.
With this knowledge and over 25 years of our expertise, we’re sure that the ring you choose will help you get a ‘yes!’ when you pop the question.