Shadow Minister for Regional Health, Shadow Minister for Regional Communications - Member for Mallee - Interview - News24 'Weekend' with Jaynie Seal - Thursday 10 October 2026

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‍DR ANNE WEBSTER MP

SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL HEALTH

SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS

FEDERAL MEMBER FOR MALLEE

TOPICS:  small business, ATO, credit cards, potholes, migration policy, mental health

Seal  

Let's bring in Shadow Regional Health and Communications Minister Anne Webster. Anne, great to see you. It looks like in a great place where you are today on this Saturday. Thanks for joining us. So, a backflip in terms of the disaster funding. Yesterday, the federal government announced that they are delaying the ATO's ban on credit card payments until the middle of next year, and there's certainly been huge backlash from small businesses, what have you been hearing?

Webster  

Look, I've been meeting with small businesses who are deeply upset about the way this government is treating them. Whether it's around compliance or backflipping on the surcharge, as you say, which leaves them carrying the cost and having no alternative but to put up their prices, this is a no-win, and then to have the ATO say, "Well, we won't accept credit cards”. It is so hypocritical, and the hypocrisy is writ large over Jim Chalmers' face yesterday, coming out and saying, "Oh, you know, I've had a chat with the ATO, and we're going to just hold it off for six months. That is not what people want. They want the ATO to accept credit cards because it's part of how they manage their business. I was talking to small business owners last night, and they were telling me that even things like you know superannuation by the fortnight or the month, it's just so much more difficult to manage their workforce now, and the despair is writ large. It is really deeply disturbing, and it's our small businesses that actually carry this country. It is not big government.

Seal  

Another topic: potholes. I know you've been very passionate about this in your community, and the government in Victoria is reporting that they filled 100,000 potholes since July. More to come. It's part of their 1.4 billion dollar repair blitz. Is this enough?

Webster  

Ah, no. Can anyone tell there's an election coming in Victoria? I mean, goodness me! Regional Victoria knows that this Labor government in Victoria only sees Bendigo, Ballarat, Geelong, and Melbourne. That's their focus, and that's why our regional roads are a disaster. I notice in their list of roads they're actually going to put some funding towards repair. There are some roads in my electorate of Mallee. Finally, I mean, I did 700 kilometres this week, and I'd put up a post a couple of weeks ago about literally a trough across the Calder Highway. It had 5 million views and 56,000 reactions and 1000s and 1000s of comments because people know this is the way the Victorian Labor government is treating them. They're just happy to let us have potholes and bad roads and poor health services, and it's on their watch. And people have had enough. They have absolutely had enough.

Seal:

Migration policies have been in the spotlight, as you well know. And here at New News 24, we're just getting so many stories in, as I know you are as well, and so many people across the country. What are you seeing? We don't have a lot of time, but in terms of the holiday visas, start with that. What's the main issue that you're seeing, especially for regional Australia.

Webster:

Yeah, well, the holiday makers or backpackers, as we call them, they come from the northern hemisphere. They're very skilled when it comes to large machinery because they use the same machinery in the north - UK, Ireland, Canada, pick a country, and they come down here on a regular basis, go to farms they know and add to the workforce. And Tony Burke decided he would put a pause on that and now delay working holiday maker visa approvals. Instead of being one day, it's now going to be three months, and he's going to cap it and put a ballot process in place for year two and three. I mean, it's a disaster. We've said absolutely that is a fail. I've been doing a lot of advocating for farmers to ensure that they can get the workers they need. Julie Collins' office has been very helpful in assisting us to get those workers through. So this is yet another, you know, it might have been a good idea in Tony Burke's head to try and keep his Western Sydney seat comfortable, but I tell you what, it's a disaster out in the regions.

Seal  

And finally, Anne, you're the Shadow Regional Health minister. It is World Mental Health Day, and the Albanese government has today announced that they're going to invest 1.1 billion dollars to expand the country's mental health system. What do you make of this announcement.

Webster  

Look, you showed Angus Taylor's comments about connection and that it's not big government that will save Australia. It absolutely is not. They have no ability to manage their budget. It is small. Businesses. It is people power. It is people who run small businesses. It's people who can get along with one another, and connectivity. I've had emails this week from a farmer who has nursed his wife for 30 years. She died in this last period of time, and he now he writes to me and he says, "I feel so lonely", and I say to him, "Have you thought about reaching out to the men's shed?" - for example. There are lots of community groups. Connecting with people is the way that we deal with our mental health. It's not more government experience and funding that's going to do that. Is us taking control and reaching out when we need help, and it's also us when we're you know travelling okay to be asking people "how are you going, are you okay?" Is a great day, and we ought to be doing it every day.

Seal  

All right, but the 267 point 3 million into delivering 32 new or expanded Medicare mental health centres is that a good initiative there?

Webster  

Yeah, look, professionals have their place. Having Medicare increase for people to have counselling and support when they're in trouble. Absolutely, it's needed. But we can't forget that process of connecting in our communities. Sometimes we need professional help, and that funding will be welcome. But we can't just rely on an external force or the government to make us feel better. Because I tell you what, right now it's not.

Seal

And connection doesn't cost anything. Thank you so much, Anne. Great to see you, and thank you so much for joining us this weekend.

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