The Nationals WA have welcomed the appointment of a new Coalition Ministry with four Nationals selected to senior Cabinet positions. The announcement comes after Michael McCormack was last week backed to continue as Federal leader of The Nationals and, consequentially, Deputy Prime Minister. State Deputy Leader Jacqui Boydell said Mr McCormack – who continues as…
Labor’s Regional Development Minister is refusing to release critical funds needed to finish the long-awaited upgrade of the Busselton-Margaret River Airport terminal. During an estimates hearing at State Parliament today, the Transport Minister confirmed there was $9.5 million in the Budget for the project yet it required the tick of approval from Alannah MacTiernan. Transport…
WA’s Attorney General has backed down on his threat to slap animal activists who trespass on farming properties with restraining orders. Under questioning from The Nationals WA during a Budget estimates hearing this week, Attorney General John Quigley revealed he was now considering community supervision orders for vegan activists convicted of trespass, rather than a…
The Minister for Emergency Services has failed to answer simple questions over how funding within his portfolio is being used to protect regional towns from bushfire. During Budget estimates at State Parliament this week, the Minister could not explain how $5.8 million of Royalties for Regions was being spent despite the cash being specifically linked…
The Nationals WA have accused the McGowan Government of deliberately deceiving the agricultural sector amid doubts over Labor’s claim that it is delivering $131 million of new money into the sector. Member for Moore Shane Love questioned the Government about the funding allocation during estimates hearings in Parliament this week. “When broken down, the $131…
Treasurer Ben Wyatt has confirmed what many regional West Australians suspected: the McGowan Government is siphoning off Royalties for Regions to fund Perth projects. In an estimates hearing at State Parliament this week, The Nationals WA hammered the Treasurer on why his Government had left more than $319 million of Royalties for Regions unspent in…
The Nationals WA have welcomed the launch of the State Barrier Fence Esperance Extension project, with the first post being hammered into the ground today. Agricultural Spokesperson Colin de Grussa MLC said the project commencement was a long time coming. “Farmers from the region have been advocating for this project for years, and it’s great…
Moore MP Shane Love MLA has called on the McGowan government to rethink the extraordinarily high cost of Government Regional Officer Housing (GROH) rents. He said Labor’s move to temporarily defer the $30 GROH rent increase due to take effect on July 1, 2019 was not enough. “It is difficult to get teachers, police and…
The Nationals WA have accused the State Government of giving their Federal counterparts a “free pass” to shut down WA’s $250 million live export industry. Member for the Agricultural Region, Colin de Grussa MLC, raised the matter with the Minister for Agriculture in Parliament during Question Time yesterday. “I asked the Minister whether the Federal…
The Nationals WA want to abolish HECS debt for those prepared to live and work in regional WA in a bid to address the growing skills shortage in the bush. Senate candidate Nick Fardell said his policy would reduce debt for students entering the workforce and present an extra incentive to attract workers to regional…