The first hearings for the Parliamentary inquiry into community safety in regional and rural communities will take place this week, hearing from locals in Bourke tomorrow and Broken Hill on Wednesday. In March the Minns Labor Government finally announced the long overdue inquiry into the escalating crime crisis, following sustained pressure by The Nationals. Nationals…
A damning report on supermarket behaviour from the consumer watchdog has vindicated The Nationals’ ongoing calls for immediate action to stop alleged price gouging of farmers and families. The ACCC’s 266-page Interim Report from its Supermarket Price Inquiry accuses Woolworths and Coles of operating within an “oligopoly” through their combined 67 per cent share of…
The Minns Labor Government is putting student outcomes across NSW at risk by failing to land a school funding deal with the Commonwealth. Education Minister Prue Car formally rejected an offer by the Albanese Government to increase its share of school funding to 22.5 per cent, which would have injected an additional $4.1 billion into…
Nationals Member for Oxley, Michael Kemp, has spoken up in Parliament in support of nurses and midwives, who rallied yesterday demanding a long-overdue 15 per cent pay rise. Mr Kemp emphasised the crisis facing regional hospitals, where staff shortages have led to ward closures in Dorrigo, Bellingen, and Macksville. “Nurses are asking for a necessary…
Nationals candidate for Calare, Sam Farraway, is demanding Labor immediately abandon plans to strip Central West families of their rights to protect their land and livelihoods against the forced imposition of wind farms. The NSW Labor Government is said to be considering new laws that would curtail the powers of landowners who want to fight…
Nationals Member for Oxley, Michael Kemp, has called for tighter feral predator control. Mr. Kemp has spoken in Parliament to drew attention to the alarming rates of native mammal extinction, with feral cats and foxes identified as the primary culprits of the uncontrolled problem. “Entire species are being wiped out before our eyes. The message…
Nationals Leader David Littleproud is calling on the Albanese Labor Government to release the ACCC’s interim report into Australia’s supermarket sector as the cost-of-living crisis continues to impact families across the nation. The interim report, which examined the pricing practices of supermarkets as well as the relationship between wholesale, including farmgate, and retail prices, was…
The Minns Labor Government has again turned its back on local dairy farmers by refusing to return Norco milk to the North and Mid-North Coast health contract. The NSW Nationals highlighted the issue on the floor of Parliament last night, forcing a public interest debate after the co-op was abruptly dumped in August. The motion…
Emergency care is declining across regional NSW with new data revealing patients are waiting longer for urgent treatment. The latest Bureau of Health Information Healthcare Quarterly, released today, shows more than 65,000 people didn’t start their treatment on time in major regional hospitals. Manning Base Hospital in Taree was among the most concerning, with just…
Shadow Minister for Trade and Tourism, Kevin Hogan has welcomed news that negotiations have concluded on the Australia-United Arab Emirates Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. Mr Hogan said The Nationals understand the importance and benefit of open and free trade. “When we came into government in 2013 our goods and services covered by a free trade…
Long-term Nationals’ member Alison Penfold will walk more than 70 kilometres this weekend to raise awareness of and funds for pancreatic cancer research. The charity walk, on the Mid North Coast, is part of PanKind’s Remember September campaign to honour and remember the 71 Australians who die each week from pancreatic cancer. Alison said the…
Nationals Member for Tamworth, Kevin Anderson, says the Special Commission of Inquiry into healthcare funding must focus on incentives to bring more health workers to the region. The Special Commission is conducting a review of the funding of health services in NSW. The review is examining: the existing governance and accountability structure of NSW Health…
Australian households have been given a dire cost-of-living warning, with 34 per cent of Australian vegetable growers considering leaving the industry in the next 12 months. Peak group AUSVEG’s latest Vegetable Industry Sentiment Report also shows 50 per cent of growers are financially worse off than they were in June 2023. Nationals Leader David Littleproud…
Nationals Member for Cootamundra, Steph Cooke, joined Southern NSW growers, consultants, and industry members in Temora to celebrate the opening of the Agri Innovation Laboratory at the FarmLink Open Day. The laboratory, supported by the Grains Research and Development Corporation, is a state-of-the-art facility designed to process plant and soil samples and support the research…
Photo: Federal Nationals Member for Lyne Dr David Gillespie with Mid Coast Council Works Engineer Ruth Hallett. Work on the Church Street upgrade in Gloucester is expected to be completed in November. Federal Nationals Member for Lyne, Dr David Gillespie, has inspected the works with Mid Coast Council Works Engineer Ruth Hallett. The $1.5 million…
