Nationals Senator for Victoria, Bridget McKenzie today welcomed new legislative reforms to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Act introduced in the Senate. “These are great news for regional areas as they enhance the ABC’s commitment to rural and regional Australia and require its news services to be fair and balanced. “The Australian Broadcasting Corporation Amendment…
Nationals Senator for Victoria, Bridget McKenzie said today the new national energy guarantee package announced by the Government today will give significant relief to high electricity users in Victoria. “Dairy farmers have told me of the increasing strain they are experiencing through ther increasing cost of electricity used to operate their farms and particularly irrigation.…
Nationals Senator for Victoria Bridget McKenzie said she is delighted at the turnout in Bendigo today for a forum as part of an independent review into regional, rural and remote education in Australia. “It was great to have the depth of discussion at the Capital Theatre on a range of issues relative to education in…
A new study into decentralisation, commissioned by the Page Research Centre, has found a shortage of detailed research into decentralisation and the most effective methods used to attract people to move from the capital cities into regional areas. Conducted by the Hugo Centre for Migration and Population Research at the University of Adelaide, the study…
Nationals Senator for Victoria, Bridget McKenzie today welcomed the government’s media reform package as a big boost for regional media coverage, jobs in country areas and localism in media. The funding grants could allocate grants to programs and initiatives such as the purchasing or upgrading of equipment and software, training, development of apps and business…
A Senate Committee Report into the Red Meat Industry has made a series of recommendations following concerns about a culture of collusion at cattle saleyards. In its report, the committee said it shared the concerns of stakeholders, particularly producers in relation to a number of saleyard practices, including the behaviour of commission buyers. The purpose…
Nationals Senator for Bendigo, Bridget McKenzie today slammed Lisa Chesters for her ill-informed rhetoric on the Bendigo jobs market. Here are the facts that Lisa Chesters conveniently ignored: There are a total of 7,700 businesses in Bendigo of which 97% are categorised as small business,with a staff of 20 or less.3,659 people work in Bendigo…
Wine producers in Victoria have applauded the federal government $50 million, three year plan to increase the value of wine exports up to a record $3.5 billion and bring $170 million worth of wine tourism to regional communities. National Senator for Victoria, Bridget McKenzie today welcomed the launch of the Australian Government’s Export and Regional…
Nationals Senator for Victoria Bridget McKenzie, today attacked the ABC decision to axe its shortwave services as ill conceived, ill-founded and not based on evidence. In debating regional media law Senator McKenzie, said evidence to Senate committee was clear, that had the ABC (Regional and Rural Advocacy) Bill had been law, the ABC Board would…
Nationals Senator for Victoria, Bridget McKenzie said new legislation to strengthen Australia’s competition law will benefit consumers, business and the economy, especially in regional areas. “The Harper Review recommendations strengthen section 46 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010. “It found that current misuse of market power law is not reliably enforceable and does not…