‍DR ANNE WEBSTER MP

SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL HEALTH
SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS

FEDERAL MEMBER FOR MALLEE

TOPICS:  Labor’s tax grabs, holding government accountable, accusations of lying, capital gains tax, small business impact, renewables impact on farming, right to farm  

Price  

Let's stick on these changes, Treasurer Jim Chalmers, he introduced that bill - as I said at the beginning of the program - of lies and exaggeration to the House today to change negative gearing and capital gains tax. He told the House that he was proud to obviously deliver this legislation. Well, since he's delivered that budget, I'm not sure he's too proud about how the debate is going. Joining me now, Shadow Regional Health Minister Anne Webster. Good to talk to you. Thanks for your time. That little clip I just showed there of Chalmers and Burke talking while the Attorney General was making a very important point at the dispatch box didn't show much respect for the person doing her job on the day, I wouldn't have thought.

Webster  

Well, they don't. This is the most arrogant government, and the hubris that the Labor government is showing to their own ministers ... for goodness' sake, they're so good at giving lectures and moral higher ground, and you know, if we look at this budget, what a classic, that they could go to an election without even mentioning, well, actually saying that they won't make changes, and here they are, they've made the changes, and there's nothing to see here, it does my head in, and the fact that we now have ruling that we are effectively gagged from calling their behaviour out for what it is - which is lying, and the government has lied to the people of Australia, and they ought to be held to account for it, and that is our job in Opposition to do exactly that.

Price  

Look, I was very surprised, also about Milton Dick's ruling on the word ‘lie’. I mean, he went back over various Speakers through history and said that they'd made a similar ruling, but surely you as a Party and you as a Member of the House of Representatives in Question Time, if you get up and say to the Prime Minister, in a question you lied to the Australian people before the election about capital gains tax and negative gearing ... There's nothing wrong at all with that question. It's perfectly legitimate.

Webster  

Well, it's a statement of fact that's the problem here, and it is our job to actually make those statements of fact and to call out the government. I don't know whether your viewers understand that role. People like politicians to be nice and to get along, and you know, not play tough. Well, this is unfortunately, as we are seeing with the Albanese government, a dirty game, and they have taken the Australian people on as mugs, and we will absolutely call them out. I mean, you talked about CGT changes, Steve, and I have, you know, incredibly respected business people, small business people in Mildura, Peter and Fiona Devilee, who have run a highly respected business for 35 years. They wrote to me yesterday, they are so deeply distressed because they have invested so much, they have employed and grown their employment to 75 from 17, 35 years ago. They are investing in their community. They highly respected members of the community, and here the government is effectively penalising them without a word of it prior to the election, without a word other than saying no, no, nothing to see here, we won't be making these changes. Well, they are experiencing this now, and to say that they are feeling deflated is, you know, it doesn't really express it. People are very worried about these changes, and ultimately it is Labor doing Labor things. They are a socialist government. They want bigger government, and they ultimately want a government economy. They don't want private enterprise. If they did, they would be doing much better than they are now.

Price  

Anne, you had Matt Canavan and others up in your region, I think, last week ... the renewables debate, we talk about it on Chris' show all the time, on Peta's show all the time, companies trying to run rough-shod over people's farms. You've even got the Victorian government threatening to throw people into jail if they don't let the transmission line company onto their property. What did you show your leader and others when you had them in your area?

Webster  

Yeah, thanks, Steve. I had Matt Canavan and Darren Chester, the Deputy Leader of the Nationals, and also Danny O'Brien, the leader of The Nationals in Victoria, come to St. Arnaud, a little town in my. Electorate ... 220 farmers turned up who have been fighting for their right to farm for years - for years -  and I have stood with them and developed legislation at federal level to protect prime agricultural land from exactly this kind of railroading that has been going on. They are pretty... they have been, I should say, a very devastated farming community, and they represent ... they've now got 50,000 followers, and so they're a small not-for-profit, so to speak. They actually represent a lot of farmers around the country. Matt Canavan came down to announce that we ...

Price  

... there's a lot of anger there. I mean, I've talked to these people on the ground, and I think you're doing an outstanding job, and you should keep going. And I think the rest of the country is starting to get bloody annoyed about this net zero, and farmers being railroaded. And thanks for your time, appreciate it very much.

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