Member for Mallee - Transcript - Sky News 'Credlin' with Peta Credlin - Thursday 21 May 2026

‍DR ANNE WEBSTER MP

FEDERAL MEMBER FOR MALLEE

TOPICS: VNI West transmission line, net zero, protecting prime agricultural land, farm succession planning, Labor's tax changes

Credlin  

Let's go now to that latest meeting of farmers in regional Victoria, who face having their land forcibly acquired as part of a very controversial transmission project. This, you know, was something we've been keeping a very close eye on. The project is called the VNI West Transmission Line, and it's going to see huge towers, 300 metres tall, built across 1000s of kilometres of prime farmland, and it's to connect up all these renewable energy projects from Sydney down to Melbourne, or all across farmland. Of course, the farmers won't get the power, that's pumped to the greenies in the city. Now, these terrible laws that give them the entitlement to go on to private land were pushed through the parliament last year, so farmers are now fighting to keep the power companies off their land. Nationals leader Matt Canavan was there with the Member for Mallee. They met with a lot of the people campaigning out there in the country today, and it is really ramping, ramping up. The Member for Mallee Anne Webster joins me now for an update. Anne, thank you, thank you for everything you're doing here. Because I know the people that you're speaking to reach out to me also, and they're pleased that you're in their corner. You were there to make an announcement for these farmers. What have you promised them?

Webster  

What we have said, Matt Canavan and I today have announced that we will stop VNI West. We will scrap it from a federal level. Obviously, Angus Taylor announced in the budget in reply last week that we will scrap net zero. There's a clue right there, and we will ensure from a federal level, that VNI West cannot go ahead, that has big ramifications, because, of course, as you just stated, Peta, all of those renewable energy zones and the projects themselves, which are funded, subsidised by taxpayer dollars at a federal level, will also stop, so we will not be paying for projects that would feed into the VNI West, and that is a piece of good news and welcome to our farmers.

Credlin  

It is hugely important, Anne. Congratulations to you, to the Nats, to Angus Taylor, and everybody at a federal level. I've been pretty vocal in the last few weeks after the Liberals at a state level - the Coalition includes The Nationals too. They put out their policy, their policy was just to review it, Anne- and I tell you, the anger is still there out in your area, because that's just not good enough. They want this thing gone. Are you going to be able to twist the arm of your Victorian colleagues?

Webster  

Well, we have our state conference this weekend, so there will be, I'm pretty sure, some fiery debates going on, and statements made. That's okay. There were today as well, and we will be at a federal level. We're very clear. Matt has been very clear. He's been fighting net zero forever, and of course, we need to remember that it was under Barnaby Joyce that net zero was signed up, and so we have made a very clear decision that we will not be supporting that, nor will we be supporting the projects that are funded by taxpayer dollars at a federal level.

Credlin  

Look, you are right to remind people it was Barnaby Joyce, he was deputy PM at the time, he signed up to the whole catastrophe that is net zero. Do you think, though, that this is where One Nation is going to try and carve votes off you in the Victorian election, but by opposing this and leaving the Liberals and the Nats at a state level just to say they'll review it?

Webster  

Look, I think that Matt Canavan made it very clear today that we need to oust a very bad Labor government in Victoria. We need to do the same at a federal level in two years' time, mind you, but in six months' time at the state election, then it is really important that a Coalition government is elected, because that is the only way that Labor will be ousted. So, look, bring it on - Matt was not stressed by the arguments that were made today, neither was I. Free and fair debate is what we are about. That's why 200 farmers gathered in that hall in St Arnaud today, it was really good again to hear their views, and to confirm to them that we are supporting them, we are backing them. That's why I tabled the Prime Agricultural Land Protection Bill about six weeks ago. Matt tabled it in the Senate, and my colleague Alison Penfold tabled it in the House because I have been put back in shadow cabinet, so these are good steps that we want to see our prime agricultural land and our small businesses protected. Of course, the budget doesn't help.

Credlin  

Let me just ask you about that, because I know our farmers tend to run their arrangements. There are huge issues for them with succession trusts, capital gains tax, of course. What was their take on the budget as you were out amongst them today?

Webster  

Yeah, look, they're very worried, because succession planning means that they've got to pass on land that they're not actually passing on and getting money for, and then able to pay tax for, they're passing along to their kids. So, what happened when the probate era was on, is that kids had to sell property, had to sell part of their farm in order to pay probate. We don't want to see that happen again, and our farmers are really concerned about it?

Credlin  

Yeah, because you've got the big issue too, you can't keep carving off the edge of your farm when you make it unprofitable in this day and age, you need scale in order to keep our farmers on the land, Anne,

Webster  

Yeah, absolutely, and you know we've got the Victorian government coming for our farming land right now, they are compulsorily acquiring land for the VNI West, and honestly, it is just shambolic. It is disgraceful behaviour by the Victorian government, and that's why we've got to win government and toss them out.

Credlin  

All right, we'll leave it there. Anne, thank you. Thanks for getting out there. Thanks for the update. As I say, we'll stay right across that issue.  

‍

‍