Media Releases

Victorian Labor fast tracks renewables, forgets social licence

Victorian Labor will fast track renewables projects in spite of community opposition through heavy handed new development rules, Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster says. Premier Jacinta Allan announced all new renewable projects in Victoria will be treated as “significant economic development”, railroading Mallee farmers and their communities and giving them no right of appeal.…

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Meta leaves regional media in the cold

Facebook owner Meta’s decision to stop paying news publishers for content should sound the alarm bell for regional media outlets, Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster says. The former Coalition government passed legislation in 2021 requiring platforms like Meta to pay Australian news outlets for content shared on their platforms. Meta’s media payment deals were…

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Victims’ surging insurance costs need a public inquiry

Natural disaster victims’ allegations insurance companies have price gouged them need urgent investigation by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster says. Skyrocketing premiums during a cost-of-living crisis have hit the hip pocket of Mallee residents affected by fire and floods over the past 18 months, yet insurance companies…

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Bulk Billing is collapsing under Labor

Mallee residents are paying more to see the doctor and are finding it harder to access healthcare under the Albanese Labor Government, Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health and Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster said today. “Labor promised to strengthen Medicare but they have weakened it. It has never been harder or more expensive…

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Butler must act on State Labor cash grab

The Albanese Labor Government must push back against Victoria’s GP payroll tax and save patients money, Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health and Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster says. Patients are facing fee hikes of 30 per cent under the Allan Labor Government’s payroll tax changes that subject doctors to a retrospective bill –…

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Meat is not the enemy as ideology takes over

Ideological agendas must not interfere with the diet of everyday Australians in Mallee, Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health and Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster says. The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is toying with changing the Australian Dietary Guidelines to incorporate environmental sustainability, casting doubt over the future of meat in…

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