Federal politics

John Hasell, President, WAFarmers. I write on behalf of the Western Australian farmers and service businesses that rely on the live sheep trade to support their families and communities. A trade that for purely political reasons your government has decided to end on the logic that it has lost its social licence to operate.

The Budget forecasts a small budget surplus in 2022‑23, ahead of most major advanced economies, and lower deficits and debt over each year of the forward estimates compared with the October Budget ... Gross debt as a share of the economy is now expected to peak lower at 36.5 per cent of GDP in 2025‑26, where it will be $154 billion lower than projected in the Coalition’s March 2022‑23 Budget.

Developing the Regional Investment Framework - outlined in the 2023-24 Budget - puts regions and the people who live in them, at the heart of decision making. The Framework will establish a new regional development forum for Australian Government agencies, with regular engagement to better inform Commonwealth decisions ... The Framework identifies four key priority areas to support regional development – investing in services, people, places and industry.

Clarence Valley pharmacist Michael Troy from Southside Pharmacy has voiced his concerns surrounding the Federal Government’s proposed changes to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), which will allow Australians to purchase two months’ worth of medications for the price of a single prescription from September 1 ... “There is nothing about this proposal which makes logical sense for our local community, or for us as a small regional business”: Clarence Valley pharmacist Michael Troy.

NSW Farmers’ Association is disappointed the federal government has missed key opportunities in the federal budget to strengthen Australian agriculture and rural communities. President of NSW Farmers Xavier Martin said the federal budget has “fallen short” of expectations, particularly around the significant biosecurity threats Australian farmers face.

Tonight’s ‘cost of living’ budget is a missed opportunity to address food price inflation, according to Australia’s peak farm body. National Farmers’ Federation President, Fiona Simson, said the budget does nothing to get to the heart of rampant food price inflation – which NFF polling shows is weighing on the minds of 8 in 10 Australians.

The federal budget has delivered a mixed result for rural Australia, with GrainGrowers expressing disappointment and calling for additional work in a number of areas ... While welcoming the steadfast commitment to maintaining Fuel Tax Credits and the extra attention to childcare, GrainGrowers said the government had missed a range of valuable investment opportunities for grain growers.

The Liberal Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell has sought details from the Andrews Labor Government regarding the management and maintenance of levee banks throughout Victoria, including in her electorate of Northern Victoria Region.

Earlier this week during his Run for the Voice ultra marathoner Pat Farmer ran to Yanchep National Park from Optus Stadium before heading north the next day. It was dark when Mr Farmer arrived at the Yanchep Inn on Wednesday, May 3 but a small group of people were there to greet him including Noongar cultural guide and didgeridoo player Derek Nannup.

Prime Ministers Albanese and Sunak met in London on 5 May 2023 and announced the long-awaited entry into force date of midnight 31 May 2023 for the Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement (A-UK FTA), following the expected completion of UK domestic processes ... The A-UK FTA, which was agreed in principle in June 2021 and signed on 17 December 2021, will see Australian beef and sheepmeat/goat meat access to the UK liberalised over a transition period.

The Government will act on Treasury’s key recommendation to achieve a fairer return from offshore LNG projects by introducing a cap on the use of deductions from 1 July 2023. Specifically, the change will limit the proportion of Petroleum Resource Rent Tax (PRRT) assessable income that can be offset by deductions to 90 per cent.

Senator Matthew Canavan and Member for Flynn Colin Boyce MP, have expressed their disappointment in NAB’s decisions to close the Biggenden branch ... "There are 47 community groups and 48 small businesses that are set to be directly impacted by the Biggenden branch closure. I urge NAB to support the community and keep this branch OPEN": Colin Boyce MP, Member for Flynn.

The Commonwealth Bank is closing a branch in an area it has itself labelled one of Australia’s most popular destinations for regional migration, breaking its pledge not to shut any regional branches while a senate inquiry into the impact of bank closures is in progress ... The Commonwealth Bank’s interpretation leaves Australia’s three biggest regional cities – Geelong, Wollongong and Newcastle – as well as the more densely populated regions along the east coast and places such as Bateau Bay, Gosford, Maitland, Murwillumbah, Raymond Terrace, Katoomba, Bacchus Marsh and Mandurah still vulnerable to the loss of their Commonwealth banks this year as they fall in the same category.

The National Farmers’ Federation welcomes the 5 May 2023 announcement that the Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement will enter into force on 31 May 2023. The FTA improves access to an important market for Australian farmers and will allow them to diversify their markets. It will importantly give UK customers the option of sustainable, high quality Australian produce on supermarket shelves to complement their existing home-grown options.

Robert Onfray. As we celebrate World Endangered Species Day on 19 May, I thought it timely this month to look closely at how species are faring in Australia, particularly in reserves authorities have established to protect them ... We don’t hear about this aspect of monitoring in our reserves because the government, bureaucrats and environmental activists don’t want the public to know just how poorly managed our reserves are.

The Australian Government has kicked off a new $1.4 million capacity enhancing project in Indonesia, providing Australian expertise in-country, to assist in the fight to control foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and lumpy skin disease (LSD) ... Australia’s Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Mark Schipp said the project would be delivered by the FAO in partnership with the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) operating out of the MOA offices in Jakarta.

Five Barkly schools have been successful in a share of the $32 million grants to upgrade infrastructure and equipment. Member for Lingiari Marion Scrymgour was in Tennant Creek yesterday and visited Tennant Creek High School which will receive $25,000 to repair and maintain its facilities and refurbish classrooms.

A class action, organised and crowd-funded by Queensland GP Dr Melissa McCann, is taking aim at the Commonwealth government and the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), along with a number of senior public servants, alleging negligence, breach of statutory duty and misfeasance in public office. The suit alleges that the respondents approved the vaccines “with no proper or reasonable evidentiary or logical basis to reasonably determine the vaccines to be safe, effective and possessing a positive risk-benefit profile.”