DR ANNE WEBSTER MP,

SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND TERRITORIES

SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS

MEMBER FOR MALLEE

Transcript - Interview with Kieran Gilbert, on Sky News 'News Day' - Tuesday 3 June 2025

GILBERT

Let's go live to the Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories, Anne Webster, and thanks for your time with us today. The Prime Minister announced additional support for drought-affected farmers in the south, and we know our country is a land of so such diverse conditions. We've had the floods recently, but in the southern parts of the nation it's still drought-affected, and impacted farmers. We're talking about - you don't believe the government has gone far enough? What more needs to be done in support?

WEBSTER

Thanks, Kieran, well, I agree with David Littleproud, who's actually written to Julie Collins, the Minister for Agriculture, to ask her to put in place what we did in 2020, which is the Regional Investment Corporation (RIC), that is an incredibly important body that provides loans – now, it's in place, there was $350 million last financial year (the current one) and $350 (million) for next financial year. But it's at 5.18% I think at the moment, what we're calling for is what we did in 2020, which is that it be interest free for the first two years. Farmers can consolidate loans that they might have, get a breathing space and another three years of interest only and then five years of principal and interest. It's just in these incredibly difficult circumstances where farmers are having to buy in hay and grain to feed their cattle or simply try and get them into an abattoir. Farmers are really doing it tough and we believe that the Labor government should step in and implement what we did in 2020.

GILBERT

OK. So that's on that front, in terms of feed and support I, I know there are a number of not-for-profit groups trying to support farmers as well: both in drought affected but also in the flood affected zones. I spoke to one, a farmer up in the mid North Coast, the other day and he's urging people to get on board and try and support farmers via donations. Where is that supply in terms of feed for stock?

WEBSTER

Well, farmers locally in Mallee tell me that it's really hard to get hay. There is hay coming down from Queensland, some from WA. Of course, there's drought right across the southern part of Australia, from Victoria to WA, but there is still hay there. They're trying to bring it across and the South Australian Government removed the fee for checking the biosecurity of that hay as it's brought in. I think the Victorian Government should match it frankly and then farmers have got to be able to afford to bring that hay in where it is possible. So there is work being done, Frank Fontana from the Queen Victoria Markets actually contacted me yesterday and said that he's got 20 tonne of green waste that he's really happy to have brought out to the regions for cattle and sheep. He just needs a truck and EPA approvals to do that. So, look, there's help coming from everywhere. But it's just got to be facilitated and you know the government is part of that, of course, there’s the Rural Financial Counselling Services, what the Prime Minister funded yesterday, $2 million to assist with that. Counselling is absolutely important and necessary and they do a great job. But the farmers themselves like to stand on their own two feet. And so I go back to the RIC as being really important and you know the ability to bring in that hay and grain.

GILBERT

Has there been any indication from the government, from what you understand, after the letter from David Littleproud to bring in - or a return to - those interest free loans that, as you pointed out earlier, proved quite successful in 2020?

WEBSTER

I've heard no response yet. I invite Julia Collins to come down to Mallee, of course I know Dan Tehan would welcome her in Wannon as well, where we don't see many Labor ministers come out to our neck of the woods in Victoria, even though Mallee is over one-third of Victoria, we really don't get those Labor federal ministers coming through. So, I invite Julie Collins to come down and meet with farmers and to get engaged in these issues because drought is incredibly difficult. The floods are a disaster, they've got the DRFA in process, droughts are not bushfires or floods, they're quite a different. You know, it's a creep-up-on new kind of disaster rather than one that is sudden and the DRFA, you know, is made for… it's not made for drought, so we need that action on the ground and preventative support.

GILBERT

Anne Webster, a number of your vocal colleagues in the National Party - and some in the Liberals too, Senator Alex Antic at the weekend suggesting that the State Council had voted to get rid of net zero - and they're now calling for that to happen from the Federal parliamentary party, what's your view on this, as a member for a country area on behalf of the Nationals, having seen what Tom Connell and I were talking about and the fact that the Liberals hold such few urban seats right now, how as a Coalition, do you navigate this? I know that your heart and your responsibilities are for the Nationals, but you’re a member the Coalition - How do you do that and get the Liberal Party back onto a more competitive footing as well?

WEBSTER

Yeah. Look, it's a really good question, Kieran. I think the net zero subject and the Paris Agreement for that matter are really key for us. We've had a lot of discussions in the National Party Room about it. I certainly have a lot of people across my electorate who've got and voiced very strong opinions about wanting to exit net zero, each of us as representatives will come to the party room - that's our job - to represent our community. It is happening sometime, we thought we had a date, but it's now not happening, so we will have a date in the National Party Room for us to discuss that and a process - David has made it quite clear there will be a process - for us to engage in, in order to come to a position.

The Liberal Party, I can't answer for them. They will have their own processes, I'm sure. And then our two parties will need to come to an understanding and agreement, as a Coalition. So look, I don't necessarily think that it'll be smooth riding from here on in about net zero, but it's certainly a subject that I believe should be raised, should be discussed, should be debated, and we should come to a situation where reliable and affordable power is something that...

GILBERT

...should you dump it?

WEBSTER

… well, I think reliable and affordable power is something that we absolutely should be able to guarantee. It should not be part of our history: it should be part of our future. And you know, the energy is the economy. What more can I say?

GILBERT

Alright, Anne Webster, thanks, Shadow Minister for regional development. I appreciate your time.

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