Australian farmers are being treated as Labor’s cash cows under a new Biosecurity Fresh Food Tax, Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster says. The tax will force Australian farmers to pay for the biosecurity costs of international importers who compete for shelf space with their own products, and will drive up the cost for families…
Member for Mallee Anne Webster has requested Federal Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt activate Commonwealth funding for victims of the Wimmera and Grampians bushfires. “The Federal Government must step in and support fire victims as they begin to recover from this tragedy,” Dr Webster said. “I have been in constant contact with the Minister’s office…
Farmers and Mallee irrigation communities need to have their say on the mechanisms for water buybacks, the Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster says, as the Albanese Labor Government Restoring Our Rivers Act draft framework consultation runs for three more weeks. Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek has three new framework programs out for public consultation,…
Mallee tradies will be hard pressed to find apprentices to address a skills shortage due to a collapse in trade training under Labor, Member for Mallee Anne Webster says. New data from the National Centre for Vocational Education and Research (NCVER) shows the number of apprenticeships and trainees in training fell by 12.63 per cent…
Labor’s chaotic Right to Disconnect laws put Mallee employers at risk of criminal punishment if they contact employees outside of work hours. “Mallee small business owners will need to become industrial relations lawyers – or fork out for them – to get their heads around these rushed amendments to Labor’s already bad Industrial Relations legislation,”…
Regional Victorian lives are being put at risk by infighting between Labor State and Federal Governments, Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health Anne Webster says. Federal Health Minister Mark Butler has urged the Allan Labor Government to review Victoria’s controversial GP Payroll Tax while the Victorian Government is concerned Minister Butler plans to rip more…
Mallee farmers and small business owners face turmoil thanks to Labor’s Industrial Relation Laws being rammed through Parliament. Member for Mallee Anne Webster said the new laws around casual employment will particularly hurt agriculture. Casuals who have worked for six months, or 12 in the case of a small business, and have had a regular…
Farmers enticed by the financial benefits of hosting wind turbines on their property may be lumped with the cost of decommissioning the infrastructure at the end of its lifespan, Member for Mallee Anne Webster warned today, echoing the Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner’s previous alert that wind turbine earnings could be outweighed by the removal costs.…
Labor’s new Fuel Efficiency Standard will take away the freedom of choice for Mallee farmers, tradies and families when it comes to their family car or work ute, Member for Mallee Anne Webster says. “The Albanese Labor Government is ignoring practical reality in favour of green ideology,” Dr Webster said. “Mallee is more than 83,000…
A damning new report highlights the absolute failure of the Australian Energy Market Operator and its shell Transmission Company Victoria to secure social licence for the VNI West project, Member for Mallee Anne Webster says. Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner Andrew Dyer has released his independent Community Engagement Review, which shows 92 per cent of respondents…