Shadow Minister for Regional Health, Shadow Minister for Regional Communications - Member for Mallee - Transcript - Sky News - Pete Stefanovic - Tuesday 7 July 2026

‍

‍DR ANNE WEBSTER MP

SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL HEALTH

SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS

FEDERAL MEMBER FOR MALLEE

‍

TOPICS: China missile launch in Pacific, Australia’s Pacific defence treaties, data centres, community benefit, comparison with Rewiring the Nation rollout, data centre water consumption

Stefanovic  

Well, the fall out continues this morning after China launched a long-range missile into the South Pacific, just hours after Australia signed a security pact with Fiji that could well be joined by other island nations. Joining us live this morning is the Shadow Regional Health Minister, Anne Webster. Good to see you, Anne. What are your thoughts on this launch?

Webster  

Well, it's deeply concerning, isn't it? I mean, having missiles launched anywhere near any of our island nations, our neighbourhood, is effectively what is happening, and China have made no apologies for the fact that they are continuing to build their military and taking over areas of our ocean. We are more concerned about what they do rather than what they say, and you know, good on the Prime Minister for signing a treaty with Fiji. The more we stand together, that is what's important. But China has made no bones, as you know ... anyone looking at this situation would be rightly concerned about China's behaviour and the timing. Well, you know, coincidental?

Stefanovic  

Yeah, sure. And so, what can or should we be doing in response? So, just full steam ahead with these other security pacts, or does the language need to be tougher against China?

Webster  

Well, this particular government has been soft-shoeing with China for some time, and you know, trying to keep the peace, and the fact is, if you have an aggressor as a nation who is one of our ... is our largest trading partner, but at the same time behaves in an aggressive manner towards our neighbours, we must as a nation, and a wealthy nation comparatively to our island nations, we must band together. We must show a solidarity together that says to China we're not going to be bullied, we're not going to be intimidated by their behaviour.

Stefanovic  

And do you think you're getting - or we are getting - that solidarity from our island neighbours?

Webster  

Well, you know, the signing of the treaty with Fiji, of course, is positive. Papua New Guinea, of course, we have ANZUS with New Zealand and the US. I think that the more we band together the better, but I don't think anyone feels quietly calm that we can sit back and assume everything's going to be fine with China.

Stefanovic  

Okay, let's go to the regions, and the government may be forcing data centre companies to provide financial benefits to the communities that they operate in. How would you feel about that?

Webster  

Well, in my electorate, and around regional Australia, we have had the Rewiring of the Nation. It has created so much furore. People don't want it. They don't want the transmission lines. They've made it very clear in my electorate, and yet - you know - the government continues to subsidise these often foreign-owned entities to plough ahead, literally railroading our communities. AI data centres, in my view, are no different, and when you look at buying the public, buying the public support with, you know, their social licence with football jerseys, or with, you know, a fence around an oval, which is the kind of donation that has been made in our regions, people are not happy with that. These massive entities are making a lot of money from taxpayers - from them - and meanwhile disrupting our region. So, I don't blame my regions at all, and I'll stand with my regions every day of the week, and I don't know that Albanese government is going to be providing the kind of pressure that these big entities need to feel in order to benefit the local community, and it's the local community that bears the brunt of all this, you know, it’s intimidating.

Stefanovic  

But if that local community stands to financially benefit in a big way, would that not be a good thing, given that data centres are coming, they're coming in a big way, and obviously, with all of our sunshine and all of our space, we would be a highly attractive option, as being proved by Anthropic at the moment, that wants to make Australia its second home?

Webster  

Well, the fact of the matter is, they also require a lot of water. We don't have a lot of water, I mean, we have 70 per cent of our water down the Murray Darling Basin goes to the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder, and so our irrigators are struggling with water prices that are going through the roof, and that will just be perpetuated if data centres then also come to take their - you know, pool of water, so to speak - because they'll be able to buy it, they've got the money, they will be able to buy it, which puts farmers offside, and yet even yesterday I spoke with a range of farmers who are really feeling the pressure financially, not just because of water, of course, there are other factors, and AI centres need to prove their worth in terms of affecting positively our communities. I just met with nine councils who have been putting this to the Victorian government : that we want to see genuine benefit. So, when data centres are saying, and the government is saying, well, you know, we'll make sure that there's genuine benefit for local communities, Let's see what it is, because our communities are not experiencing that.

Stefanovic  

All right, Anne. Good to have you with us this morning. Thank you. We'll chat to you again soon.

TOPICS:  Anti-Semitism in healthcare, Ahpra disciplinary process, Prime Minister’s comments about Kylie Minogue, sincerity of apology, Labor women’s silence

Kenny  

Let's go to the wonderful Sunraysia district of Victoria, and catch up with the Shadow Minister for Regional Health, Anne Webster. Anne, thanks for joining us. I want to get you on a related issue. Actually, we've just been talking about rampant anti-Semitism, and obviously your portfolio relates to the health sector. You're pretty concerned about what we've learned when it comes to alleged anti-Semitism in hospitals in the medical profession.

Webster  

Absolutely, Chris, last week there was an article in The Australian where Jewish patients were telling their stories of what they had been experiencing in hospitals and by some health professionals. I was so dismayed by what I read ... and also Jewish health professionals who are experiencing the kind of anti-Semitism that has been going on for two and a half years blatantly under the Prime Minister's watch. So, I wrote to Ahpra and asked them what is going on, and what are they doing about this behaviour? What actions are they taking? I asked them six questions. They have written back to me, which is pretty extraordinary - immediately - but I'm going to meet with them to articulate again, this is completely unacceptable. Unacceptable. It doesn't matter what your religion is, what your race is, who you are, you should be able to go to hospital, see a health professional, and feel like you are going to get the best care, compassionate care, not political or religious, awful, really. I mean, if the accounts are accurate and true, and I've got no reason to debate them, then it's terrorism in our hospitals. I mean, it's just horrendous.

Kenny  

Yeah, and we've got to have the medical authorities and doing everything they can to stamp it out. You're absolutely right. Any thought, any hint of discrimination in the health system is just anathema to what we should be doing. I had a knee replacement recently, and did my rehab, actually, at a Jewish hospital, and the other side of that coin is just like the schools and the synagogues, heavy security at the hospitals. It's tragic, a place of healing and care, but they have to have heavy security because they fear these sorts of attacks. Look, let me get your thoughts on this. I need to, as a Coalition woman, I've got to get your thoughts on Anthony Albanese and his Kylie Minogue comments. Demeaning, I would have thought, diminishing for the office of Prime Minister. But should we all move on?

Webster  

No, I don't think so. I think the Prime Minister holds the highest office in our land. He came into parliament ... let's not talk about all the lies that he did to get there ... but he came into parliament promising integrity and a kinder, gentler parliament. He's got 50 per cent of his lower house are women, I mean, honestly, what are they thinking about his behaviour? His behaviour towards his wife, his behaviour towards an esteemed star in Australia? It's unacceptable, it's embarrassing. It was kitsch, it was horrendous, and he ought to be called out for it. And I'm sorry, getting your press people, even if you are in Fiji at the moment, to write a little, oh, you know, I'm sorry, doesn't cut it. I agree with Dan Tehan’s comment earlier, he needs to front a camera and apologise to every woman in Australia that he thinks that kind of language and that kind of attitude is okay.

Kenny  

What does this say about the so-called strong feminists of the Labor Party? Where's Tanya Plibersek calling him out? Where's the Minister for Women, Katie Gallagher? We know they would be screaming blue murder if a Coalition MP male was stupid enough to say something like this. Where are they now? They're all completely condemned by their own silence.

Webster  

I'm waiting, I'm waiting to hear what they have to say, because I've heard nothing that says that they would condemn that behaviour, and you are absolutely right, Chris. They would pin Angus Taylor to a wall, they would pin anybody on our side of politics to a wall and make them, you know, beg for mercy and to apologise to the Australian women and hear they are dead silent. It's just appalling. Two standards: hypocrisy writ large... one more time.

Kenny  

Spot on. Thanks so much for joining us, Anne. I appreciate it.

‍

‍