‍DR ANNE WEBSTER MP

SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL HEALTH
SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS

FEDERAL MEMBER FOR MALLEE

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TOPICS: Labor’s housing targets, regional aged care, Queensland Government and Twiggy Forrest, green hydrogen

DEAN

Shadow Regional Health Minister, Anne Webster joins me now. Anne, great to see you. Labor is using its new favourite excuse, the Iran war. This is too funny to now explain why their self-made housing crisis is a crisis. Housing Minister Claire O'Neill says the conflict could reduce the number of new homes by more than 30,000 and I wasn't aware that the Americans were bombing housing across Australia. That's a new one on me. But anyway, explain how Claire O'Neill arrives at this ridiculous assertion?

WEBSTER

Right? And, great to be with you. It's just - this is the Labor playbook. Now we all ought to expect this, that when they can't achieve the targets that they announced with fanfare, 1.2 million homes by 2030 The reality is that there are actually 200,000 homes short by that date. So this 30,000 I think they're just going to incrementally hope that there is some global event that takes place, so they can justify why they actually cannot manage governing Australia, which is their job

DEAN

Exactly. Now, listen, you're worried about the GST that's creeping into aged care after Labor extended it to everyday living services in residential care, this obviously just means higher bills, does it?  

WEBSTER

Honestly, it is probably the number one issue that I have right now, and what distresses me as Shadow Minister for Regional Health is that it is our older, vulnerable Australians who need care. They're waiting for nine months to get an assessment. And I'll give you a specific case, an older gentleman who is deaf, who is *deaf*, was called so that his assessment could be done on the phone. Why is that? Because he lives in the regions, so the aged care body called him to do an assessment on the phone that he couldn't hear properly. Now, in the room with him was his son, who happens to be an occupational therapist who should be doing assessments and is willing to do them, by the way, and he heard his father and they actually stated what the assessment would mean for him in terms of functionality. How can they even know that? Why is the government allowing that to take place? So, you wait nine months for an assessment, you might wait another two months for an approval, and then guess what? The services are all closed on their books, the wait lists are closed. And further pain for older Australians is that they're paying more. So I've got a physio in town here, Stephen Willman, who charges $75 for a physio session with an older person. It takes 30 minutes, he clearly states that. The provider charges for an hour and charges the client $215. So, this has happened. I've got the balance sheets. I can show you it is happening over and over again. What does it mean? It means that older people run out of money. They run out of money on the packages that they've been provided because providers are now taking them for a ride. This is appalling, and it sits at the feet of the Labor ministers Mark Butler and Sam Rae to fix up because it is absolutely broken.

DEAN

Well Anne, it also sits at the feet of Labor's ideological war against the elderly in Australia, which is increasingly apparent. I mean, they're setting out this intergenerational war and making it harder and harder for elderly Australians. As anyone who's had parents in care, obviously knows. Now, listen, I want to ...  keep up the fight on that. Anne, it's really, really important. Now the Queensland Government is now suing - wait for it - Twiggy Forrest. Who'd have thought it? They're trying to get their $66 million back - lost, investing in - wait for it – failed green hydrogen plant. This is climate change all over again. You almost have to laugh. But this is again, just a tragedy. $66 million will they get it back from the Twiggy Forrest? Do you reckon?

WEBSTER

Look, he's got a lot of money behind him. I'd really like to know how much of that money is actually from subsidies for various green projects. You know, when I first heard about green hydrogen, I think most of us went, ‘Oh, wow, that's exciting. Maybe that will, you know, assist with more power.’ No, it's all a pipe dream. It's not happening. He's been given $66 million to achieve that. And good on premier Crisafulli for going after him and wanting that  $66 million which would make a very big difference in aged care, frankly, or in other services that the state government want to provide. So, you know, I'm all for it. I think this is a very good move. I'd like to see other premiers take up the fight, because, oh my goodness, please don't talk to me about Victorian Government and the rorting that has gone on there.

DEAN

Anne Webster, great to chat to you. Thanks so much for coming on the show.

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