‍DR ANNE WEBSTER MP

SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL HEALTH
SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS

FEDERAL MEMBER FOR MALLEE

TOPICS: Anti-Semitism Royal Commission, political activism in hospitals, AHPRA adopting IHRA definition of anti-semitism, Coalition opposing carbon credits for forestry, Greens push for minors to receive compulsory employer superannuation contributions

Rogers  

The Royal Commission into anti-Semitism continues to hear confronting evidence with Labor MP Josh Burns taking the stand today. Meanwhile, The Nationals have vowed to oppose Labor's new carbon credit approvals. Joining me now is Shadow Regional Health Minister Anne Webster, and I do want to start with the Royal Commission, where we are continuing to hear some really disturbing evidence, including year nine Jewish school girls who say that they get abused on their way to school every day. What should the government be doing to ensure Jewish Australians feel safe?

Webster  

Well, thank you, Jamie. It's, it is incredibly distressing to hear the reports of what Jewish Australians are experiencing, whether they're year nine girls just trying to go to school, going to get along with their lives, or whether it's people going to hospital and fearing for their safety because of political activism in hospitals, the absolute opposite of what you would expect to be taking place in a hospital, and you know there's been a recent report in The Australian, which gives a lengthy picture of what Jewish Australians are experiencing and have been experiencing, and the regulator, AHPRA, who have just decided recently to take on board the Holocaust statement position on anti-Semitism - the definition, the correct term of anti-Semitism, and the amount of political backlash and activism that's taking place about that, I'm really, you know, it's hard to put into words just how devastating this is. This is not the Australia I grew up in, it's not the Australia that so many Australians grew up in, and places like hospitals, schools, shops, businesses, every Jewish Australian should feel safe, and this has been a huge failure of the Albanese Labor government since October 7, 2023 and everything that has occurred since then, the really slow response about calling a royal commission had to be driven there by the Coalition, and I just ... I don't know where we're going to end up. I really hope that this royal commission comes out with some very clear structures, things that need to change, responses to anti-Semitism when it occurs, because I tell you, what it's really not pretty right now.

Rogers  

No, it's incredibly distressing when you hear the evidence from so many different people within the Jewish community. I want to play to you Nationals leader Matt Canavan spoke today about the government's new carbon credit approvals and the impact that it's having on forestry. Let's take a listen,

Canavan  

Because of the deal they did with the Greens, we've now got graziers, farmers all around the country completely unsure if they are criminals or not, just for growing their own food. Now that's on the government's head.

Rogers  

Anne, do you think we're now seeing more consequences of doing deals with the Greens when it comes to a case like this?

Webster  

Look, absolutely, the Coalition has walked away from net zero precisely because we want to see our food security into the future, precisely because we want to see people be able to afford to put on their heaters and put on their lights. We want sensible policy, and what the Labor government are coming up with are deals with the Greens that lock up farmland that have an impact on the water table as well. When you suddenly put blue gum forests in place of cropping land, and where cattle reside, things change for the whole landscape, and to be appeasing the Greens with these kinds of policies is just continuing to drive Australia in the wrong direction, and we've made it very clear that we stand for everyday Australians who want to be able to pay their power bills and not face the ludicrous situation where we'll be importing timber from overseas to build houses where we've got a shortage of supply, I mean, give me a break, you know, these policies are disastrous, and the Coalition is working really hard on policies that will push back on Labor's current position.

Rogers  

You know, speaking of the Greens, I'd love to get your thoughts on another idea that they're sort of pushing forward with, and that's another billion dollars in super annual. Opposition for teenage workers. Does this show, though, that the Greens are increasingly driving the government's agenda?

Webster  

Well, it could well have, because the Senate, of course, ... Labor needs the Greens in the Senate to be able to pass their legislation, which they're ramming through at the rate of knots, guillotining debate. It is the worst government that we have seen in a very, very long time. It does concern me that these kind of ad hoc decisions, where teenagers, who ... my kids were teenagers at some point in time, and they started earning, you know, pennies at McDonald's, and no one's talking about slave labour here. We're talking about earning a wage, but to try and give adult wage for kids who are learning about money, learning about turning up, doing a decent shift at McDonald's - I'm picking on - while the Greens, and probably many in Labor want to see that they have super and they have all the benefits of being an adult worker in the adult space. The finance area is obviously not mine in regional health and regional comms, so I have not heard what our side of politics is looking at yet in terms of response to this, but just off the cuff, it seems to me we want to train our kids how to be good employees, and yes, they need to be paid properly, but I think that when you go into all the benefits, you know these are unionised, these are unionised frameworks that we're wanting to give abundantly to kids who are learning how to work. I just think, you know, we need to think about this very, very carefully.

Rogers  

You're spot on, Anne. I remember my mum saying to me, when I got my first ever job, how lucky and grateful I should be that a business is paying me to learn, and I think we sort of lost that mentality that everyone just expects to be getting the same wages as someone that's been there for a very long time. Well, Anne, I appreciate your time tonight. Thank you.

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