COUNTRY LABOR DIALOGUE CONNECTING COUNTRY COMMUNITIES – MARCH 2018 New Parliamentary Year - Jay Suvaal Country Labor Won’t Let Up On Berejiklian’s Failures To Deliver Public Services writes... NSW Parliament has resumed for the final year before the It’s been an eventful start to 2018 with the resignation of next state election and the Labor Opposition has vowed Barnaby Joyce and Riverina to keep the pressure on the Berejiklian Government over MP Michael McCormack its failure to invest and deliver key public services. promoted to Deputy Prime Minister. I know the Riverina Country Labor members will be hoping this promotes more government investment in their region however if Barnaby’s performance in New England is anything to go by then they shouldn’t hold their breath. Joel Fitzgibbon is still fighting Malcolm Turnbull in the courts to have the Coalition Agreement released. I believe this is even more important given the failures of the PM in Labor will continue to hold this government to account on its recent weeks. failures for regional NSW. It’s been great to be out visiting branches and holding training This is a government that has ​​During Parliament Labor will hold the sessions around the state. government to account on overcrowded I look forward to the wrong priorities led by a schools or those still waiting for essential continuing to visit Premier who thinks there’s repairs and maintenance, growing nothing wrong splashing $2 hospital waiting lists or its cuts to TAFE. all the regions as we move billion on stadiums while kids When regional communities are being throughout the in the regions struggle to find deprived of much needed funds, more year. work and the cost of living schools are closing than opening and more patients than ever are waiting for continues to rise.” elective surgery, then the Berejiklian- Jay Suvaal NSW COUNTRY – Michael Daley MP Barilaro government had reneged on its ORGANISER promise to govern for all of NSW. NSW Labor Welcomes Calls For Lower Electricity Prices The Labor Opposition has welcomed calls for strong action to be taken on sky rocketing electricity prices in NSW at a parliamentary inquiry. The NSW Farmers’ Association In addition, fronted the Legislative Council customers in inquiry into electricity supply, rural and regional demand and prices in NSW, to call NSW are paying for lower electricity prices. more for electricity Strong action must be taken to protect compared to those customers across NSW from punishing Retail electricity prices have risen living in the city. increases in electricity bills. by up to 16 per cent from 1 July last year, on top of earlier steep Labor has a positive plan increases since the Liberals and to bring retail electricity Luke Foley vowed that a NSW Labor Nationals came to office in 2011 Government elected in 2019 would which has seen a combined prices under control in this re-regulate the retail electricity market increase in electricity bills of up to State.” – Adam Searle MLC to bring electricity prices back under 60 per cent. control for households and small Last year, NSW Labor Leader businesses across the State. If Future Generations Wonder Who Killed The Darling - Tell Them About The NSW Nationals The NSW Minister for Rural Water, Niall Blair, is about to make a legacy defining decision to pull NSW out of the Murray Darling Basin Agreement, flushing $6 billion down the drain and destroying the far western NSW river network in the process. It has been a scandalous six months The Government’s hand-picked for the NSW Nationals. There chief water bureaucrat was sacked have been widespread allegations and the Government’s own inquiry of water theft, rorting, meter into water management under the tampering and a deliberate culture Nationals labelled it as ‘diverging There are now torrents of inquiries of non-compliance when it came to from the best traditions of Australian with agencies attempting to uncover enforcing the rules. public administration’. how much water has been stolen and by whom. “The NSW Nationals The Independent Commission Against Corruption is now through their scandalous investigating. constituents and just last week management of the water another former Nationals Minister Minister Blair’s predecessor in the was accused of altering water portfolio have brought Water portfolio is accused of giving the Murray Darling River plans after public consultation had permission for certain irrigators to concluded in order to give certain network to the brink of pump water during a total ban and irrigators up to 32 per cent more collapse.” – Luke Foley MP thereby denying water to his own water. Labor Calls For Local Land Service Rate Relief For Drought Affected Hunter Farmers The NSW Opposition has called on the Berejikilian Government to extend the due date for the payment of this year’s Local Land Service Levies. Many of the region’s farmers are penalties if their payments are not faced with skyrocketing bills for made by February 26- with the NSW water and fodder for stock. Country Government setting interest for late Labor says the due date should be payments at an above market rate of extended until the dry conditions 11.31 percent. The extended dry period had caught the lifts. NSW Government out and so far their “The Government has response had been inadequate. The LLS rate, paid by anyone with more than 10 hectares of land, has been flat footed and increased significantly from last slow off the mark in their More needs to be done and the year - and the deadline for payment responses to the region’s LLS rate relief is a quick and simple presented another financial burden drought.” – Mick Veitch decision that would provide further for struggling farmers. assistance to affected farmers. MLC Landholders face further financial Berejiklian-Barilaro Government HALL OF Votes Down Bill To Support shame Locally Caught Seafood The regional coastal Government MPs who The NSW Opposition has slammed the Berejiklian- voted down the Bill are: Barilaro Government, and in particular regional MPs Andrew Constance (Lib) representing coastal communities, for not supporting a – Bega Private Member’s Bill to require restaurants, cafés and Adam Crouch (Lib) other food outlets to display whether the seafood on – Terrigal offer is sourced from Australia or overseas. Stephen Bromhead (Nat) NSW Parliament voted on a Private “Labor has consulted the – Myall Lakes Member’s Bill introduced by the Leslie Williams (Nat) Labor MP for The Entrance, David food retail industry as well – Port Macquarie Mehan. The Bill was defeated 46 as local fishing industries, Melinda Pavey (Nat) votes to 35. Only National and which strongly support – Oxley Liberal MPs opposed the Bill. the Bill.” Andrew Fraser (Nat) The Food Amendment (Seafood – David Mehan MP – Coffs Harbour Country of Origin Labelling) Bill 2017 Chris Gulaptis (Nat) would have required restaurants, Instead, the Government has – Clarence become bogged down in the cafes, pubs and clubs to display botched roll-out of commercial Geoff Provest (Nat) whether the seafood on offer was – Tweed imported or caught in Australia. fishing reforms which have destroyed Provisions were in the Bill for mixed many small family run fishing *Shelley Hancock (Lib) – South sources such as marinara. businesses up and downthe coast. Coast and Gareth Ward (Lib) – Kiama, didn’t turn up for the vote. Taking Up The Fight In Country NSW Mike Kelly, Kaila Murnain and Jay Suvaal with members of the Sapphire Coast Branch Joel Fitzgibbon, Jay Suvaal and David Dobson at Campaign Central training in the Hunter region Mike Kelly, Kaila Murnain and Jay Suvaal with members of the Bermagui Cobargo Branch Daniel Mookhey and Pat Garcia with members of the Wagga Wagga Branch To see all upcoming save the date Country Labor events visit countrylabor.com.au/events Dame Mary Gilmore If you have an event you Oration would like to promote 6.30pm Saturday to other Country Labor 27 May 2018 members please email it Bomaderry Bowling Club to [email protected] Do you have a story or a photo for Country Labor Dialogue? Email your story and photos to [email protected].