Shadow Minister for Regional Health and Regional Communications - Member for Mallee - Transcript - Sky News with James Macpherson - 'The Macpherson Angle' - Sunday 26 July 2026

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‍DR ANNE WEBSTER MP

SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS

SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL HEALTH

FEDERAL MEMBER FOR MALLEE

TOPICS:  ALP conference position on Palestine, Prime Minister’s leadership style, future of Coalition

MacPherson  

Well, the Labor conference in Adelaide has formally adopted a new policy position regarding a proposed state of Palestine. The policy platform they adopted opens the door to recognising a Palestinian state, even if Hamas, a group whose commitment to peaceful coexistence appears to be roughly equivalent to a shark's commitment to vegetarianism, remains armed and influential within it. It's an extraordinary policy platform that appears to offer a political wink to an organisation dedicated to destroying Israel, while asking 7 million Israeli Jews to politely ignore the monster being built right next door. And yet, when the PM was asked about this on the ABC this morning. He reached for the favourite word of politicians who know they're walking through a minefield while wearing clown shoes: balanced.

Albanese  

And what we need to do is to make sure that we, as a country, this is a conflict a fair way away from us, but that everything that we do is balanced.

MacPherson  

It's a fascinating word choice. Joining me now is Shadow Minister for Regional Health, Anne Webster. Anne, thanks for coming on the program. How is allowing the perpetrators of the October 7 massacre to remain armed ‘balanced’?

Webster  

Ah, look, this is a Prime Minister who will use every word in the dictionary, the ones he knows anyway, on repeat, in order to cover his tracks. I don't believe we have ever had such a duplicitous and deceitful Prime Minister in our history, and that's saying something. So, whatever words he uses, it is all fuzz for maintaining his balance within the party of the two factions, the left and the right. And obviously, he's from the left faction, and so he favours everything that goes on in the left faction, and he's trying to keep the right faction happy. It's actually not about Jewish Australians. It's not even about Muslim Australians. It's not about the Australian population, and that's what's more deeply concerning to me.

MacPherson  

All right, let's talk about the Labor conference. What did you make of it generally? What were your impressions?

Webster  

Well, I'm really glad to say I wasn't there, James. Very, very pleased to say I wasn't there. In fact, I was up in Northern Territory at the Australian Defence Force, Pitch Black, for the whole week. So, I was wearing Defence Force boots and learning how incredible our Defence Force is.Iin terms of the Labor conference, what I've seen in the papers, what I've read, I think there are a lot of shadow boxing going on and not a lot of truth in terms of democratic processes. Really, are there any? It seems to me that all those heavyweights out in the back room are managing the crowd, and I think that's what Albanese does. I mean, the reports today say that the Prime Minister was in control. I think that was the word that was used by Erickson and also by Malinauskas. So, you know that he was in control. Well, you know that's not a democratic process. That's dictatorship, and if the Labor Party is happy with that, I can assure him and them that the Australian population is not okay with a dictatorship, nor with a socialist agenda.

MacPherson  

Well, you mentioned ALP National Secretary Paul Erickson. He spoke to Andrew Clennell on Sky News Agenda this morning, and no matter what the question, he kept returning to one theme. Have a look:

Erickson  

The Coalition and One Nation can't govern without each other. The Coaition can't win without One Nation. One Nation can't win without the Coalition

MacPherson  

So, Anne, he's right, isn't he?

Webster  

Well, James, I think that what he is actually exposing is just how worried the Labor Party is that the conservative right of politics is on the rise. What happens in the next two years with regard to One Nation and our coalition of Liberals and Nationals, and that is the Coalition... We'll see. We'll see how preferences flow and all the rest of it in time. Our focus in the Coalition and certainly as a National party is to ensure that regional voices and those out in the bush who are doing the hard yards in terms of keeping our productivity as high as we can, and holding this Labor government to account for their failure to manage the economy, their lies in terms of the capital gains tax, in terms of negative gearing, in terms of the way they've managed debt overall, their energy policies-they've just – it’s one lie after another, and Australians are wearing it. That's what I'm hearing. I every person I speak to, and I'm about to spend a week out in the electorate talking to locals. They are so angry. They're so angry with how they are being treated as regional Australians who punch well above their weight, and they want this government held to account. That's what I'm focused on. That's what the Coalition is focused on. And I think that if Paul Erickson wants to talk about a coalition, maybe he could be a little bit honest about the Labour Green coalition because I think that's working for him at the moment.

MacPherson  

Yeah, they never talk about that one, do they? Hey, we've only got less than a minute left before we need to go to a break, but very quickly, Liberal leader Jess Wilson in Victoria, she said today, if the Coalition wins the Victorian election, she'll serve as premier and as treasurer. It's not completely unprecedented, though it is unusual. Do you think that's a smart call for her to make?

Webster  

Well, she's the shadow treasurer at the moment, she's clearly got a history in in terms of financial management, and she is determined to turn the state around. And my lord, do we need that? So I say all power to her arm. I am sure that she was what I read anyway, James, was that she's talking about the first budget, and I think you know, from then, who knows what she will do? My only hope is that the Coalition win this government because Victoria desperately needs them to.

MacPherson  

Yeah, they certainly do. Anne Webster, always a delight to chat. Thanks for joining me.

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