Senator The Hon Bridget McKENZIE NEWSLETTER 02 6024 2560 December 2020 172 High Street Wodonga VIC 3690 [email protected] www.bridgetmckenzie.com.au Delivering what matters /senatormckenzie @senbmckenzie to rural Australians . . .
Rural and regional Victorians are experiencing a year like no other. Much of our state has navigated through years of drought before the heartbreak and devastation of last summer’s bushfires which tragically claimed 33 lives across the country. Then, as the recovery process started, an equally tragic pandemic swept the world and the lives of regional Victorians were impacted more than most because of the inept handling of quarantine and contact tracing by the Andrews Labor Government. It brought so many of our already hurting rural and regional communities to their knees. At the same time I am a very proud rural Australian and proud promoter of our regions. I am of the firm belief that regional Australia has a leading role to play in our post-COVID-19 economic recovery. The pandemic has highlighted the need to build our sovereignty and as an export-focused nation. There are endless opportunities to create jobs in advanced manufacturing, particularly manufacturers in the regions that are co-located with raw materials and inputs across our food and fibre, defence, and critical minerals sectors. In the final sitting fortnight I was extremely proud to host a delegation of forestry and timber workers at Parliament House. A recent Federal Court ruling said VicForests needed to do more to meet its legal requirements even though Victoria VicForests was complying with the Victorian rules for managing risks to Leadbeater’s Possum. As a Victorian Senator it is my duty to help remove the ambiguity and give confidence for the hundreds of thousands of Australians who make their livelihoods in our amazing sustainable and renewable forestry industry. It is why I introduced a Private Senator’s Bill (read more inside). The Andrews Labor Government’s failure to fund the Murray Basin Rail Project in its recent Budget again shows its contempt for north-west Victoria. Member for Mallee Anne Webster and the Victorian Nations will continue to fight for this vital project, which Labor committed to. As 2020 draws to a close I encourage you to reach out to family and friends to maintain and nurture our relationships, especially as we reflect on the 12 months just past and set new goals and aspirations. I wish you all the warmest greetings of the Season and every good wish for the coming year.
Senator Bridget McKenzie Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Safe, Healthy, Prosperous and Happy New Year Bridget McKENZIE NEWSLETTER Nationals Senator for Victoria December 2020 ‘BLACK JACK’ RIGHTLY DESERVES PLACE IN PAGES OF AUSTRALIA’S POLITICAL HISTORY
John McEwen is a forgotten that it became synonymous giant of Australian political with his own surname – history. “McEwenism”. For a long time I have been My book is intended to be a intrigued by McEwen’s work and re-introduction to McEwen. this year I decided to dig deeper. It does not cover everything. The result is a new book John It does not even detail McEwen’s McEwen: Right man, right place, important role in four of the right time. most significant developments My work is not a chronological in Australian political history: the history of McEwen’s life and founding of the United Nations contribution, rather it contains with H.V. Evatt and Frank selected examples of deliberate ABOVE: My book reflects on six themes Forde; McEwen’s refusal of the actions and events I hope in the great man’s life. United States’ demand for the will illustrate the man and LEFT: John McEwen entire Aussie wool clip during his mission, and the role he now proudly stands the Korean War; it does not played in Australia’s growth tall in Canberra’s explain his 1939 White Paper and development during the parliamentary zone. on Aboriginal Australians which twenty-first century. aimed to extend Australian His contribution across 37 years the artist Sir William Dargie in single-mindedness, and of great citizenship; nor even does it is unparalleled, laying the very his official Parliamentary portrait. physical pain in his later years. touch on his role in dismantling foundations of modern Australia This painting captures not only The two personalities indeed the White Australia policy and as a first world economy and McEwen’s visionary gaze and seem difficult to reconcile. championing of a non-preferen- as an independent, sovereign the gnarled old hands of a And yet the forging of these tial immigration policy. power. And yet, McEwen rarely if farmer in his lap, but also his traits, with all their internal This and more has had to be ever features on even one pow- unflinching character. contradictions, in very poor omitted. erpoint slide of an economics, The adjectives often used circumstances in a small pocket Instead, my little book reflects i nternational relations or to describe McEwen can be of north eastern Victoria were on six themes in the great man’s political science lecture in our contradictory. the essential qualities that life: Protectionist or Pragmatist?; universities. On the one side is the dour, cho- propelled McEwen to be a Prime Place, Party, Patriot, Power and Is this because he was from the leric, incredibly determined and Minister. Prime Minister. Country Party, or simply because unyielding hard man of politics. These qualities made him able My hope is that this modest he was from the country? On the other is the compas- to reimagine a nation emerging contribution will ignite interest in In the centenary year of The sionate, patient, humorous and from war, to be able to build the man, his approach and the Nationals a statue of this political generous mentor. entire industries from scratch, critical but unique role regional titan is rightfully being erected in McEwen was indisputably a very and to cleave Australia from the Australia and their political rep- Canberra. serious man known for his stern motherland England and carve resentatives have played in our Finally, humble McEwen can outlook, dark often furrowed a truly independent, sovereign national story. stand straight and tall among brow that seemed never to vision for Australia. John McEwen: Right man, right the pantheon of the architects of deviate and rarely to crack into These traits also enabled place, right time, published by our great nation, Barton, Deakin, a smile. McEwen to stand up to powerful Connor Court Publishing, was Menzies, Curtin and Chifley. Such was his temperament that vested interests, to lead a launched on December 10 at Physically, McEwen was a Menzies gave him his enduring minority to affect the majority, Parliament House, Canberra, striking man. Six feet tall, with moniker - Black Jack. to guide an entire nation into by The Australian editor-at-large the straight bearing of a soldier His was an intelligent face, the deepest of friendships with Paul Kelly. on parade, square-jawed, with but a face that had also seen its most hated enemy, and to piercing crystal blue eyes that deprivation, great suffering and articulate such a clearly defined It is available at vicn.at/right- were so brilliantly captured by loss, the face of a workaholic, of policy platform under his remit man-right-place-right-time.
2 Authorised by Senator The Hon Bridget McKenzie - The National Party of Australia, 172 High Street, Wodonga VIC Bridget McKENZIE NEWSLETTER Nationals Senator for Victoria December 2020
DISCONNECT BETWEEN CITY AND COUNTRY EXPOSED It’s an understatement to say it was a great relief for border communities when NSW removed its border checkpoints on Novem- ber 23. The closure was in place for 137 days and that, coupled with Victorian Labor’s cruel lockdown restrictions, cost the Victorian economy tens of billions of dollars, and hun- dreds of thousands of jobs. Just as the Victorian government’s quarantine and contact tracing incompetence and one size fits all approach to handling this pandemic caused un- necessary distress for regional and rural communities, NSW’s blanket border closure imposed on all of Victoria highlighted a real disconnect between city and country. The fact remains if Melbourne hotspots Preparing for a live TV interview with SKY News from the Wodonga Place, Albury, were locked down efficiently and effectively border checkpoint during the Victoria-NSW border closure. early, it would have negated the need for state border closures, which stalled our of a year our state and territory leaders still state and territory governments negatively economic recovery on the back of a devas- don’t have an agreed national definition of a impacted hundreds of thousands of regional tating summer bushfire season. COVID hotspot. Australians despite having no local cases I’ve spoken about this a lot in the media. Back in October the Senate voted in and urgently called on state and territory What is very concerning is that despite favour of The Nationals motion which governments to adopt a clear national dealing with this pandemic for the best part acknowledged restrictions imposed by definition of a COVID-19 hotspot. LEGISLATION TO BRING CERTAINTY FOR AUSSIE TIMBER WORKERS NATS VEW BACKED In the final sitting week I introduced a During a Senate inqui- Private Senator’s Bill that will bring surety ry into management and job security to the almost 200,000 of the Murray Darling people employed directly and indirectly Basin Plan, Bret Walker in Australia’s valuable native hardwood SC, who headed SA’s timber industries. Murray-Darling Basin My Environment Protection and Biodiver- Royal Commission, sity Conservation Amendment (Regional Senator McKenzie with timber workers dismissed suggestions outside Parliament House. Forest Agreements) Bill 2020 to amend the 450GL environmental the EPBC Act and Regional Forest Agree- For example, in Victoria VicForests was water recovery could ments Act seeks to remove uncertainty complying with the Victorian rules for not be delivered without from the intersect of the EPBC Act and managing risks to Leadbeater’s Possum buybacks. the Regional Forest Agreements, and rein- - however the Federal Court ruling said Southern basin state the original drafters’ understanding VicForests needed to do more to meet its communities should take of how that works. A Federal Court ruling legal requirements. heart to hear Mr Walker in May created ambiguity with respect to This means all forestry companies in say it is ‘vandalism’ and the provision of the EPBC Act this Bill Australia operating under a state based ‘selective cruelty’ to seeks to amend. regulatory regime approved through require environmental It means if a forestry company is acting an RFA cannot rely on any direction or watering if it comes at under the local regulator’s rules, or even approval from the local regulator. the expense of rural a formal legal direction, a Federal Court This impossible situation can only be families who live in the judge can decide to take a different view. solved by making the law clear. southern basin.
Authorised by Senator The Hon Bridget McKenzie - The National Party of Australia, 172 High Street, Wodonga VIC 3 Bridget McKENZIE NEWSLETTER Nationals Senator for Victoria December 2020
THE FAST TRACK TO BETTER RAIL SERVICES ANSWER THE CALL Passengers on the North East Line are enjoying more reliable and comfortable journeys thanks to a The Nationals are continu- massive program of accelerated works undertaken in recent months. ing to expand mobile cover- The construction team capitalised on the border closure, which saw buses replace trains on the North East age across regional and route had forged ahead with critical track works to help make services on the North East Rail Line more remote Australia. The next reliable and improve ride quality for passengers. round of the Mobile Black The works are delivering these benefits sooner than expected and we’re well on track to complete Spot Program is open and construction by mid-next year. will focus on improving The Nationals in Government are investing $244 million in the package of works to improve this major rail coverage along major corridor and we’re now more than three-quarters of the way through construction. transport corridors and in Major construction on the North East Rail Line Upgrade started earlier this year, with more than disaster-prone regions. 300 kilometres of tamping, mud hole removal works and drainage reinstatement now finished. More info is available at: The project will also include works to upgrade an additional 20 rail bridges than previously foreshadowed https://vicn.at/mbsp-r5a and renewing track turnouts at Seymour and Violet Town to improve ride quality and reduce delays for NEW OPPORTUNITIES passengers on the line. Our farmers and business- The upgrades formed part of the $2 billion Regional Rail Revival Package, which is upgrading every es will benefit from better regional passenger train line in Victoria and boosting the local economy. export opportunities with This reflects The Nationals commitment to regional Australia under our $110 billion infrastructure pipeline. the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic ABC ON NOTICE FOR INCORRECT ATTACK OF BEEF PRODUCERS Partnership Agreement between Australia and 14 I’m a proud champion of the ABC, but if our Indo-Pacific countries. It national broadcaster airs a program that covers the fastest growing denigrates our rural industries, misinforms region in the world and children and impacts our rural economies will open new doors and towns - without fact checking for Australian farmers, thoroughly – I will call it out. businesses and investors. During a senate estimates hearing, I asked MEDICAL HELP the ABC to provide information on whether From December 1 families organisations including Meat and Livestock of children with Spinal Australia, the CSIRO and the Regenera- Muscular Atrophy will be tive Agriculture Alliance were consulted able to access life changing ahead of broadcasting Fight for Planet A: medicine for $41 or $6.60 Our Climate Challenge, which is listed as a script with a concession a documentary on both Screen Australia During a Senate Estimates hearing I card after a life-saving and and the ABC’s websites even though it is questioned the ABC about its factually life-changing medicine incorrect attack on our cattle producers. factually incorrect and imbalanced in its was listed on the Pharma- ceutical Benefits Scheme. reporting. conversation was biased and skewed Without the subsidy, The documentary is completely imbalanced towards climate. families would pay more and misrepresented aspects of Australian The program is published as factual than $367,000 a year for agriculture, in particular it makes false entertainment, but this is misleading and treatment. claims about the Australian beef industry’s the fact a response from the Cattle Council WORKING FOR YOU carbon emissions. of Australia is posted on ABC iView with If you have any questions At the hearing I highlighted the fact that the program is evidence of this. about COVID-19 or other the beef industry is one of only two major The ABC revealed that they would meet support services and need Australian sectors who have lowered their with the National Farmers’ Federation some help, please contact emissions since 1990. regarding their concerns with the program my office on 02 6024 2560 Our red meat industry is certainly not and that they have been investigating a or by email at this address: standing in the way of change. formal complaint that was received. [email protected] While the ABC executive may not have You can watch the estimates hearing at During tough times The thought the program was misleading, the https://vicn.at/emissions-facts Nationals have your back.
4 Authorised by Senator The Hon Bridget McKenzie - The National Party of Australia, 172 High Street, Wodonga VIC