Victorian Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie has welcomed changes to Round 2 Regional Development Australia Funding criteria and is encouraging the department to distribute money fairly to projects throughout all of regional Victoria. “The criteria for the new application forms has been finalised and I welcome the improvements. The department has completely re-written the guidelines and…
DetailsDuring Question time today in the Senate, the Nationals Senator for Victoria, Bridget McKenzie, asked Minister Wong about the socio-economic impact of the of the Gillard Government’s carbon tax on regional communities. “Can the Minister confirm what modelling has been undertaken by the Government to ensure that the $200 million allocated to the Regional Structural…
DetailsThe Nationals Senator for Victoria, Bridget McKenzie, today condemned Labor’s carbon tax, emphasising the devastating impact it will have on regional Victoria. “For a start, we know there will be a price hike on electricity of at least 10 per cent, but it is not going to make an iota of difference to climate change,”…
DetailsThe Government has today forced the Senate to cut short debate on the carbon tax legislation, reducing the time available for Senators to speak to the carbon tax bills. Joining forces with the Greens, the Government rammed through an amendment to the sitting schedule that means the legislation will now be brought to a vote…
DetailsWarren King, acting CEO of the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO), last night confirmed to Senator Bridget McKenzie, Nationals Senator for Victoria, that the long delayed decision on Defence’s LAND 121 Phase 4 program will not be made before 2012. During last night’s supplementary Senate Estimates hearings, Mr King responded to a question from Senator McKenzie…
DetailsVictorian Nationals Senator, Bridget McKenzie questioned the distribution of almost $1 billion by the Regional Development Australia Fund in Senate estimate hearings last night and asked specifically about its decision not to fund a critically needed job creation application from the Latrobe Valley. The Government allocated almost $1 billion to the RDAF to support the…
DetailsOne month before the planned release of the draft Murray-Darling Basin Plan, the Labor government has not been able to give the Senate any details of plans to consult on the draft plan, said Senator Bridget McKenzie, Senator for Victoria. “It’s extremely concerning that at this late hour, Labor doesn’t even have a plan for…
DetailsThe signing of the Northern Victoria Irrigation Renewal Project stage two agreement at Tatura this week by Victorian Water, Agriculture and Food Security Minister, Peter Walsh and Federal Water and Environment Minister, Tony Burke, has been welcomed by The Nationals Member for Murray Valley, Tim McCurdy and by Victorian Senator, Bridget McKenzie. Mr McCurdy said…
DetailsThe Nationals Senator for Victoria, Bridget McKenzie, is seeking bi-partisan support to get promised funds to farmers who have sold up under the Federal Government’s stalled Farm Exit Grant Scheme. Senator McKenzie said it is imperative that she is able to bring cases of real hardship to the attention of the Minister. “This is particularly in…
DetailsCanberra’s carbon tax will cripple the household budgets of dairy farming families, and give overseas competitors an unfair advantage over Victoria’s major exporter of foodstuffs. Bridget McKenzie, the Nationals Senator for Victoria, said this after touring Murray Goulburn’s Global Distribution Centre at Port Melbourne with the Nationals’ leader, Warren Truss. “The carbon tax will cost…
Details