Optus outage proves need for mandated mobile roaming

This week’s Optus outage highlights the need for mandated domestic mobile roaming in regional, rural and remote Australia, Member for Mallee Anne Webster says. The outage, which impacted 10 million Australians, provides evidence that a mandated mobile roaming pilot program in regional, rural and remote areas of Australia should be facilitated, while broader capacity in…

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More pain for Australian families under Labor

Labor’s cost of living crisis is continuing to pile pressure on Mallee family budgets, Member for Mallee Anne Webster says. In the wake of Tuesday’s interest rate rise by the Reserve Bank of Australia, which takes the cash rate to its highest level since 2011, the average mortgage holder in Australia will be paying almost…

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Labor’s bulk billing failure

The Albanese Labor Government’s tripling of the Bulk Billing Incentive Payments is a signature Labor policy with a good headline but no positive impact for the majority of Australians, Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health Anne Webster says. General Practitioners receive triple the current Medicare incentive to bulk bill concession card holders and children under…

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NFF’s strong stance welcomed

Member for Mallee Anne Webster has congratulated the Wimmera’s David Jochinke on his election as President of the National Farmers Federation, and lauded his strong stance calling out the Albanese Labor Government’s appalling treatment of farming communities. “Labor appear to have taken a scorched earth mantra to their policy decisions without any concern for the…

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Delayed VNI West route release a cynical move

Transmission Company Victoria (TCV) has finally released its draft corridor for the VNI West project, burying it within the news cycle and leaving affected landholders just days to prepare for planned consultation sessions. Member for Mallee Anne Webster criticised TCV for releasing the report late on a Friday afternoon, just four days before planned community…

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Basin Plan meeting for Mildura

Federal Members representing communities along the Murray Darling Basin as well as members of the Coalition’s Agriculture Backbench Committee will hold a town hall meeting in Mildura on Tuesday, October 3 to discuss the Albanese Labor Government’s proposed amendments to the Murray Darling Basin Plan. The meeting, from 4pm at the Alfred Deakin Centre Benetook…

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Red tape removal a step forward, but more needed

Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health Anne Webster says while the scrapping of the Visas for GPs program may streamline the recruitment of international doctors, more needs to be done to address the Albanese Labor Government’s regional healthcare failures. Under the program, regional and rural GP practices that sought to hire overseas-trained doctors had to…

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Albanese’s Koala Court on COVID-19 is a joke

Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health Anne Webster has labelled Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s inquiry into the handling of COVID-19 a ‘Koala Court’ because it is too cuddly towards Labor state premiers. “Usually, questionable inquiries are kangaroo courts, but in this case the Prime Minister has gone out of his way to avoid scrutiny of…

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Nationals Federal Conference backs regional health

The Nationals Federal Conference has backed two key health policy recommendations to alleviate workforce issues in Regional Australia, Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health Anne Webster says. The Conference unanimously supported reintroducing a stronger “on the job” hospital-based nurse education requirement for regional nursing students, which would allow students to study and start work earlier…

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