Trevor Whittington, CEO WAFarmers

This piece emerged from an extended dialogue with the WA Minister for Police regarding the new firearms regulations released just before Christmas. I revised my original opinion article to incorporate the Minister’s direct responses, as they address many of the key concerns raised during the reform process.

As a second Trump presidency looms on the horizon, one pressing issue for America's and Australian farmers remains unresolved: the unfettered right to repair their own agricultural machinery. With both groups at loggerheads with the big farm machinery manufacturers over who gets the right to access software locks to repair complex tractors and headers, what happens under Trump could impact where this long running debate finally settles.

As we stare down the barrel of 2025, this year is shaping up to be a reckoning—not just for Australia, but for a world that has endured a decade of progressive politics defined by ‘Cancel Culture’, ‘Me Too’, and the relentless pursuit of ‘Virtue Signalling’. All the while, the global economy has been led toward rack and ruin by its capture by the climate change catastrophists. Yet amidst the chaos, there’s a glimmer of hope ...

Western Australia’s Premier Roger Cook is becoming one of the more intriguing figures in Australian politics. His latest intervention—opposing the Federal Government’s "Nature Positive" environmental laws—must be leaving the Green Left spluttering into their organic green tea.

The irony is rich: this bill will likely create a generation of kids who are not just social media experts but also adept at cybersecurity and very comfortable breaking the law. Well done, Canberra, for teaching Australia’s youth skills that will take our kids deep into the dark web where everything and anything is available.

In his latest attempt to channel Australia’s wealth into government-approved projects, Chalmers announced plans to steer the Future Fund toward housing and renewables, claiming these priorities will secure both national prosperity and a moral high ground. But if the Treasurer is serious about backing industries with real potential, it’s time to herd the Future Fund into the sheep yards of Western Australia, where $200 million could establish a state-of-the-art abattoir to breathe life into a sector gasping under the weight of Canberra’s policy redirection.  

With election season upon us and rural mobile networks pushed to their limits during harvest, it’s an ideal moment to examine the persistent gaps and dropouts in mobile coverage. Before diving into the political and economic factors shaping mobile connectivity, let’s take a step back and explore the history of Australia’s mobile network rollout. By tracing its development, we might uncover how so much of the bush was left behind.

Here’s an idea for you: Australia has around 15 million taxpayers, but only 50 per cent are net contributors, meaning they actually pay more than they receive back in rebates and deductions ... Now, with the government forecasting a surplus ... wouldn't it be nice if those of us contributing more than our fair share had a say in how that surplus is spent—or, dare I say, saved?

As bracket creep pushes more and more people into the top tax rate ... it is only a matter of time before Australians who are mobile enough decide they don’t want to pour an ever-greater part of their annual income into funding Albanese's political priorities. For those who can pick up and leave the country to escape our high tax rates I thought I would give you a quick world tour of where you can park yourself ...

Well, he’s back. This time, he’s not just set on “Making America Great Again,” but is doubling down with a pledge to “Make Our (American) Farmers Great Again.” But how, exactly, does he plan to pull this off? And should Aussie farmers brace for impact? A glance at Trump’s past as President, alongside his promises for the next four years, paints a picture that’s hard to ignore.