‍DR ANNE WEBSTER MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL HEALTH
SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR MALLEE

TOPICS: Sydney Swans player suspensions, VNI-West transmission line, protecting prime agricultural land

Kenny  

Let's go to Canberra now and catch up with the Shadow Regional Health Minister Anne Webster. Anne,  good to catch up with you. I want to start off on the Sydney Swans scandal. What's your assessment of the club’s and the AFL's response so far?

Webster  

Well, great to be with you, Chris. Clearly, the club has taken the higher ground and given these players time out. It seems that they are directly addressing the issue of respect. But in terms of what's going on with the police, as far as I know, no charges have been laid. The fact of the matter, though, is that in Mallee, for example, I've got about 3000 senior footballers, men and women, and of course you've got the whole junior sides underneath that. That is 1000s of more young players who are looking to their professional heroes to behave well and to hold up the higher standards. This is incumbent on the AFL to ensure that not only due process is followed, but that higher standards result from this.

Kenny  

There's no doubt about that, and it troubles me greatly. The example set for young supporters, my two little boys, younger boys, teenage boys, are Swans supporters, obviously Isaac Heeney and Chad Warner are great heroes of theirs. So, there are uncomfortable conversations to be had, but the other point here is that this was a team that was really set for a big final series and a possible premiership, and they have now voluntarily ruled out for the rest of the season five of their best players, certainly three of their best half dozen players, so they have been prepared to completely sacrifice their footy. I would have thought, to make a stand against this, I would have thought this was a pretty compelling statement about the levels of tolerance that are going to be applied both at the Swans and across the competition.

Webster  

Absolutely, and it's good to see because, as you've pointed out, with your boys and with all the young ones who love their footy and hero worship their favourite players, this matters. And you know, you can't have bad behaviour that becomes normalised, and we've seen too much of it. Sadly, people who are empowered doesn't matter who you are, wherever you are, whether it's sport or whether it's politics or whatever, in media, you know there are higher standards expected because there are so many people watching, all of us

Kenny  

Yes, spot on. Let's get back to the political arena, and we've discussed with you previously the plans for transmission lines right across Western Victoria and the local opposition - that's your neck of the woods. Let's have a look back at some of the stuff we've covered in the Victorian Mallee today, locals gathered in two towns to discuss projects planned in their area, including VNI West, the Victoria and New South Wales interconnector, designed to share power between the states and link up multiple renewable energy projects.

Webster (2024)  

Mental health was raised; communities being divided against communities, neighbour against neighbour, even husband against wife.  

Katherine Myers (2024)

It's an incredibly frustrating process and really damaging to people's emotional well-being.

Kenny  

Anne, we've been on this case for years. Good news for you today, in that the Victorian opposition leader Jess Wilson has said, if they win the election in November, they'll scrap the project. What are your thoughts?

Webster  

Well, you know, on my inside, I can tell you that I am hooting for joy. This will make a very big difference to the mental health, to the sense of future that our farmers are facing. I have proudly stood on those steps in Spring Street, in Canberra, in Ballarat, to see the Prime Minister chased out of town by tractors - you may recall - and they were strong positions that I was very proud to stand with all of my farmers, and I am so pleased for them that today the coalition has made a very clear statement that they will scrap VNI West.

Kenny  

What will the implications be for the electricity grid? Where will another interconnector be built, or other forms of generation be supplied?

Webster  

Look, our position at a federal level, of course, that's the part I know about, is that we want cheaper energy, we want it fairer, and there are places in the city where there are better places to have solar, industrial-sized solar. We certainly don't want to see prime agricultural land taken up with industrial renewable energy zones. That has been really clear right from the get-go. You may recall that's why I put together drafted legislation to protect prime agricultural land. That legislation, I hope, will be able to take forward into the election because we must protect our ag land. It's another subject for us to deviate into, but food security is becoming a serious risk.

Kenny  

Yeah, well said, Anne. Thanks very much, and yeah, congratulations on that development. There's an election that they have to win first, but it's a great policy change, great policy announcement today. Anne Webster, there, The Nationals member for Mallee in Western Victoria there, joining us live from Canberra.

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