Shadow Minister for Regional Health, Shadow Minister for Regional Communications - Member for Mallee - Transcript - Interview with James Macpherson 'The Macpherson Angle' - News24 - Sunday 27 September 2026

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

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TOPICS: Multicultural grant funding, government transparency, Prime Minister’s visit to New York, Prime Minister’s association with Indian Prime Minister, energy policy, Prime Minister’s appearances with world leaders

MacPherson

Joining me now is Shadow Regional Health Minister Anne Webster. Anne, thanks for coming on the program. This is pretty outrageous, isn't it?

Webster

Well, it's outrageous for a number of reasons. 2022, there was a million dollars spent across Australia on these multicultural programs. Up till this year, we now have over $350 million plus that has gone out. The divvying up of that funding, yes, 88 per cent to Labor. I've got a problem with that. I don't know about everybody else. And the other issue is who they are handing it out to. Now, Labor, as you pointed out, like to point out everybody else being divisive, but not themselves. I don't have a problem with money going to community groups, religious or otherwise. I don't have a problem with that. I have a problem with the lack of transparency. And if we go back right to First Fleet times, it has been often Christians who have been handing out charity and helping people in their communities. We have so many groups and I noted you were talking earlier about Anglicare and there's Uniting Care and Catholic Care. We have Hindu groups, we have all kinds of groups that are handing out care, whether it's in bushfires or floods or other needing circumstances. I don't have a problem with it, provided it's transparent. And that is the key problem with the Albanese government, that they are not transparent about, let's face it, anything.

MacPherson

Yeah, well, you're absolutely right about that. Let's talk about Anthony Albanese. He's back in Australia after his Much Ado About Nothing trip to New York. He does return with the Global Citizen Award, which is fantastic, a collection of selfies with world leaders and notes from a couple of inane speeches he gave to no one in particular that were completely dismissed by our major ally. Have I summed up his New York experience correctly, Anne?

Webster

Oh, look, I think most Australians would agree with you. Albo loves to swan around the world and look like he's doing important things a little bit like his mate Chris Bowen and really achieving what, for Australia and for Australians? There are people here in Australia, as we've already said tonight in the program, who can't pay their mortgages, can't pay their rents, can't put food on the table, certainly can't pay the fuel bills. And we have farmers who are really worrying about paying those fuel bills because they've tried trying to harvest right now. And here Albo is spending taxpayer money, like confetti, swanning around taking photos with world leaders. And I think the one with the President, I'm not sure it's what he said it was all about.

MacPherson

Well, look, while he was in New York, he did manage to catch up with Kevin Rudd. Have a listen to what Albanese said about India's prime minister and see how fast you can spot the irony.

Albanese

To give Prime Minister Modi credit, more people have been connected with access to energy in India under his reign than has occurred in any decade, in any country or any region in human history.

MacPherson

And the Prime Minister praises India for using coal and nuclear power to give Indians cheap, reliable power while denying Australians the same as our power gets dearer and less reliable.

Webster

Well, how amazing is that? So it's okay for us to send coal and to send uranium to India so that Indians can come out of poverty. I mean, it is a great outcome. And yet here in Australia, people can't afford to turn on their air conditioners or their heaters, depending on the day at the moment. under the Albanese government because we now have intermittent power. And honestly it is just a bad story that is getting worse by the day. It's why we have walked away from net zero.

MacPherson

Just very quickly before I let you go, we're talking about Labor doling out money for its favourite multicultural groups. Here's a little insight into what might guide the government. in deciding where groups get taxpayer money. Albanese's talking about the Indian community event in Melbourne, where he appeared alongside India's PM. Have a listen.

Albanese

It's the only time that 40,000 Australians will be chanting my name. Uh, is, uh, that 'cause I was a mate of, uh, Prime Minister Modi's?

MacPherson

Doesn't that demonstrate part of the problem with cultivating different and disparate groups within the community, Anne?

Webster

Well, I mean, it is a problem and Albanese has to bring Australia together and he can't just hide behind other prime ministers, who happen to be popular for very good reasons, in order to boost his own popularity. That seems to be his... that's his real modus operandi, is to hide behind other or stand beside other world leaders. And it's pretty shameful, really, for Australia's prime minister to be putting himself in that position.

Macpherson

It's comments like that and it's realities like that.  I mean, we all saw the magnificent reception. Albanese got everybody chanting his name that makes you start to wonder what's really behind some of the money and the places it goes. Or is it to really bring Australians together, or to bolster the Labor vote? Anne Webster, it's always great to chat.

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