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Advice for residents living in cross-border communities on current border restrictions is available at www.service.nsw.gov.au
You can contact my Echuca Electorate Office with any questions on (03) 5482 2039 or peter.walsh@parliament.vic.gov.au
To apply for a New South Wales entry permit or to check your eligibility visit www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/apply-covid-19-nsw-border-entry-permit
The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, says if anyone wanted proof the Andrews Labor Government would do anything; and say anything to seize more power, Victoria’s most senior legal minds have provided it. Mr Walsh said Victorian Bar president Christopher Blanden QC has warned the Andrews government’s controversial new pandemic…
The Nationals Leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, said the Andrews Labor Government has announced it plans to scrap a grassroots health initiative Daniel Andrews had previously described as a program that does “significant work to help people with chronic illnesses”. Now Mr Walsh says the Andrews government intends to abolish Victoria’s Primary…
The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, said it was critical the Andrews Labor Government ensures its outdoor trading support scheme announced this week goes to small businesses and not local council coffers. Mr Walsh said after nearly two years of lockdowns and tight restrictions, retail and hospitality businesses across regional Victoria,…
Fair freedoms for regional Victorians at 70% of 16+ fully vaccinated Reopen regional Victoria (for all) at 80% of 16+ fully vaccinated Rapid testing to be available and utilised, as appropriate On 4 October 2021, Melbourne became the most locked down city in the world. Victorians have lost hope. This has been magnified by the state stumbling…
Vaccine hesitancy and testing hesitancy in Victoria’s Indigenous communities’ risks pushing people further into disadvantage under the Andrews Labor Government’s plan to offer more freedoms to people who are fully-vaccinated. Geographic data (SA4) from the Australian Government has revealed serious gaps in Victoria’s vaccine rollout in Indigenous communities, with the Hume region recording 48.43 per…
An extended seasonal worker deal with Tasmania will finally deliver workers into Victoria, but it will do little fill the yawning shortage of pickers across the state. Agriculture Minister Mary-Anne Thomas confirmed today 200 additional workers are finally set to arrive after quarantining through the Apple Isle, but it comes too little too late for…
Industry has warned there’ll be “no food on the shelves” if the Andrews Labor Government fails to act to fix workforce shortages that risk bringing Victoria’s food supply chain to a grinding halt. Reports today detail the pressure on local meat processors, supermarkets and food distribution centres as they struggle to keep up with demand…
The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, wants the border bubble shelved. Mr Walsh said residents of the communities along the NSW border want to see all the cross-border restrictions removed. They want, he said, to return to being one community again and not live in fear that draconian rules from the…
The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, is calling for the immediate delivery of a $10 million fund to get community sport back on its feet. Mr Walsh said after “seemingly endless” yo-yo lockdowns, grassroots sporting clubs across regional Victoria have suffered 18 months of cancellations, ripping the soul out of much-loved…
The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, says the grand final loser has already been decided – border communities the length of the Murray. Mr Walsh said when the game starts; the three Moama clubs will be able to cater for a combined maximum of 1250 patrons. In Echuca, he said, the…
The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, says if 70 per cent or 80 per cent vaccination is the Andrews Labor Government’s get out of jail free benchmark then regional Victoria is good to go – now. Mr Walsh said as usual, regional Victoria is leading the way, showing the Andrews Labor…
The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, says regional Victorian students – especially those at smaller schools – will be left at a significant disadvantage under the Andrews Labor Government’s staggered return to school plan. Mr Walsh said The Nationals raised the issue from the floor of the Parliament this week, explaining…
The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, said the Victorian Liberal Nationals today announced a positive plan to get students back in classrooms across the state. Mr Walsh said under the Andrews Labor Government’s six yo-yo lockdowns, some Victorian students have lost more than 150 days of face-to-face learning. He said this…
The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, says the Victorian government is condemning regional media to obscurity through its decision to exclude country newspaper publishers for COVID-19 support. Mr Walsh said it could almost be seen as a campaign to deprive regional communities of an independent and locally relevant source of information.…
The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, said he is appalled Labor MPs used their numbers in Parliament to vote down a proposal to boost mental health support for young Victorians. Mr Walsh said The Nationals moved a Private Member’s Bill last week that would have made thousands more mental health specialists…
The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, has demanded the Andrews Labor Government take regional businesses back to the future. Mr Walsh said at the very least; regional businesses need to be reset to the rules in place before July 15. He said right now regional Victorian businesses – especially hospitality –…
Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, said the Andrews Labor government’s small business support program has been plagued by botched bureaucracy and technicalities, leaving businesses across his electorate short changed. Mr Walsh said this week in state parliament, The Nationals demanded the Andrews Government change the ANZSIC code system it is using to exclude struggling…
The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, says this week’s backflip by Premier Daniel Andrews on how to best manage the virus means the time for him to tell the truth has arrived. Mr Walsh says Daniel Andrews has spent the past 18 months hiding behind “the best medical advice” every time…
The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, says the most urgent need is the massive third wave of the pandemic – swamping Australia with mental health and wellbeing crises. Mr Walsh said the most vulnerable sector has been our young people; but there is collateral damage across all age groups as a…
Regional Victorians will hold the Premier to his promise today to finally walk back Labor’s destructive policy of sudden, statewide lockdowns. After 18 months of calls to dump the policy, from country communities and the Liberal Nationals, Daniel Andrews today flagged an intention to move to a “focused and targeted series of measures” in hotspots.…
The Andrews Labor Government has muddied the waters with its mixed messages on whether 80 per cent vaccination rates will lead Victoria out of lockdown. Vaccination rates in the Shepparton region have reached 30.8 per cent of people aged over 15 fully vaccinated, while 55.1 per cent of people have at least received their first…
The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, says confirmation vaccination rates in Victoria have fallen significantly behind NSW must be immediately addressed by the Andrews Labor Government. Mr Walsh says at current uptakes rates, Victoria will not reach National Cabinet’s key 70 per cent vaccination target until September 29 – more than…
Opinion; by the Leader of The Nationals Peter Walsh Shepparton food processor SPC recently became the first Australian business to mandate COVID vaccination for all onsite staff and visitors. Announcing the commercial decision, SPC chair Hussein Rifai said: “we honestly saw very little other options but to take this step”. Protecting the integrity of the…
The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, said support packages without restrictive criteria that excludes any level of business must go hand in hand with any COVID-19 lockdowns. Mr Walsh said “the goodwill has gone; the reserves have dried up and for some there is no tomorrow without full compensation for losses”.…
Financial support must be provided to revive competitions held as part of the Royal Melbourne Show after it was cancelled for the second year in a row. As Victoria’s premiere event to celebrate and showcase the best of Victorian agriculture, the cancellation robs competitors and exhibitors of another opportunity to claim a coveted Melbourne Royal…
The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, says the Andrews Labor Government must alter its purchasing protocols to protect local industry and local jobs. Mr Walsh said one of the greatest stories to emerge from the early stages of the pandemic has been trashed by government disinterest. He said Shepparton-based mask manufacturer…
Daniel Andrews must pay for the trail of financial disaster his latest snap lockdown has left across regional Victoria – not just the people thrown out of work but also major regional events killed off without any warning. The Nationals Leader Peter Walsh said the Australian Sheep and Wool show at Bendigo, the largest event…
The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, says the time is long gone for the Andrews Labor Government to stop playing games with regional Victoria’s crippled small businesses. Mr Walsh said it is more than six weeks since Daniel Andrews and Labor promised small businesses support after they were devastated by Victoria’s…
The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, says cross-border communities are being starved to death by the Andrews Labor Government. Mr Walsh said, for example, at Echuca-Moama, the NSW half of the twin towns is being smashed by Daniel Andrews and his determination to make it orange, not green. He said he…
The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, says he is outraged and; on behalf of the state, embarrassed that pensioners are being sent bouncing cheques by the Andrews Labor Government. Mr Walsh said Labor Governments notoriously cannot balance the books; but said Daniel Andrews is on his way to setting “an unparalleled…
The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, says as Victoria’s hospital waitlist crisis continues to worsen, some heartbreaking cases are coming through the front door of his electorate office desperately seeking help. And Mr Walsh said this was not just isolated problems, Nationals members across the state are seeing similar tragedies unfolding.…
The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, has called on the state Labor Government to release the data and modelling underpinning its latest erratic restrictions in regional Victoria. Mr Walsh said given there had been no cases and just a few exposure sites in regional Victoria for months, regional communities should return…
Leader of The Nationals and Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh said the Andrews Labor Government has made a further mockery of its handling of lockdowns 1, 2 and 3 with the shambles surrounding lockdown 4. Mr Walsh said the Liberal Nationals had plans to guide the state out of the pandemic but despite lockdown…
The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, said the real story behind the Andrews Labor Government’s $460 million funding to try and repair the damage it has caused with its fourth lockdown since the pandemic started must be told. Mr Walsh said just like its overhyped business support fund (BSF); the latest…
The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains says the Andrews Labor Government has once again kicked regional events in Victoria to the curb. Mr Walsh said organisers of regional events have been waiting since last year’s November budget to apply to the $8 million allocated for the 2020-21 Regional Events Fund to help them…
Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh has joined the queue at Echuca Regional Health for his first dose of AstraZeneca. Although he said he almost doubled the number checking in for his shot because of the efficiency of the ERH frontline team. Mr Walsh said ERH had introduced a fast-track to get people from the…
Country people are at our wits end being dragged into the turmoil of Labor’s policy of statewide lockdowns to tackle outbreaks in Melbourne. While there continues to be no active cases of COVID-19 outside of Melbourne, today’s announcement of eased restrictions for regional Victoria is the news families, businesses, communities and the Liberal Nationals have…
The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, says a Liberal Nationals government will use taxation as part of its plan for Victoria’s COVID recovery – by cutting some and scrapping others. Mr Walsh said Victoria needs a plan from people who actually understand business; how it works and what it needs when…
The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, said he is still in “shocked disbelief at the sheer arrogance of the acting Premier and his head health honcho and their combined defence of Victoria’s never ending COVID mismanagement”. He said when rightly asked how he could defend Victoria’s contact tracing program, Professor Brett…
The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, wants to hear from local businesses who have been denied, or are still waiting for, Victorian Government COVID-19 support grants. Mr Walsh said despite Daniel Andrews and the Labor Government spruiking businesses recovery support, desperately needed as a result of lockdowns and restrictions, the majority…
A high proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in Victoria are facing imminent disconnection from their electricity. The Energy and Water Ombudsman Victoria (EWOV) found that more than 1 in 10 of their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander customers were facing looming disconnection. That figure is closely followed by those who have actually been…
Regional Victorians won’t be spared the emotional, social and financial pain of future lockdowns, even if cases are confined to Melbourne. Crossbench MP Fiona Patten, who recently formed a ‘Coalition’ with Mildura MP Ali Cupper, has claimed the Government agreed to make concessions in exchange for support on its nine-month State of Emergency extension, including…
A new campaign is seeking feedback on the Andrews Labor Government’s move to extend its power over the lives and livelihoods of every Victorian for the rest of 2021. The State of Emergency powers give Daniel Andrews authority to make far-reaching decisions, including enforcing snap lockdowns, spending taxpayer dollars without oversight of the Parliament and…
The impact of crowd limits at local sports matches, as part of Victorian Government coronavirus restrictions, has been pushed into the spotlight by the Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh. He said The Nationals took their concern to the floor of the Victorian Parliament this week to get the government to reconsider its 1000 crowd…
No-one really knows when, or if, we are going to have another COVID outbreak – but The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, says we can have an effective and transparent process that will put an end to the financial destruction and emotional trauma of the Andrews Labor Government going in and…
The Andrews Labor Government has wasted at least $7.7 million from the taxpayer purse covering up its mistakes and shifting blame for its disastrous Hotel Quarantine program says The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh. He said Labor’s bungled Hotel Quarantine program caused Victoria’s second wave of coronavirus and resulted in 801…
Dear Editor, There’s a lot of talk about recovery from COVID-19 shutdowns but months after the harsh lockdown ended, I’m still hearing the same message: the Andrews Government’s focus is in all the wrong places. This week we learned that Daniel Andrews is sitting on millions of dollars in small business grants that was intended…
Checkpoints on Victoria’s border with New South Wales must be removed following today’s announcement that reclassifies all of NSW as either ‘green’ or ‘orange’ zones. Border communities are at their wits end. Despite no COVID cases in NSW border communities, Labor’s unwieldy permit system is leaving local people still facing debilitating delays to get across…
People power has left Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews “a little green around the gills” according to The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh. He said united border bubble communities had been attacking the border closure since it was inexplicably slammed shut on New Year’s Eve, sending more than 60,000 Victorians fleeing south…
Op-Ed – Leader of The Nationals Peter Walsh It’s ground hog day for Victoria’s border communities. The Andrews Labor Government’s eleventh-hour border closures on New Year’s Eve again turned our world upside down. It’s made access to health services and medical supplies, education and daily essentials that much more difficult for people living and working…
The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, has condemned the blinkered view of the Victorian government over the economic damage it has inflicted on river communities. Mr Walsh said despite lessons that should have been learnt from previous COVID closures and their impact on the river’s twin towns, “once again local economies…
Fruit will be left to rot on the trees and in the ground as a result of the Andrews Labor Government still refusing to pave the way for the quarantine of seasonal workers. Figures published today show that while other Australian states have successfully brought in hundreds of workers, not a single flight has come…
The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh said it has now become urgent for the country’s governments “to get their heads together and come up with solutions that do not involve the ongoing financial Armageddon through which we are living, remove the damage to mental health and wellbeing and reopen our borders”.…
The Nationals leader Peter Walsh has released his wish list for 2021; and there is a strong focus on getting regional Victoria a better deal. Mr Walsh said the pandemic has been a glaring example of how little the capital city-based powerbrokers truly don’t get regional life in general and cross border communities in particular.…
A glossy media campaign to attract seasonal workers, announced today by the Andrews Labor Government, is an insulting step backwards for Victoria’s agriculture sector after months of warnings and negotiations. Agriculture Minister Jaclyn Symes has ignored genuine proposals from industry to solve the problem, as a looming gap of more than 20,000 workers is expected…
Victorians have sacrificed too much to risk new coronavirus outbreaks in our communities, but these further border closures will have a devastating impact on our cross-border communities if decisions aren’t made with a deep understanding of local needs. The Andrews Labor Government’s decision to implement its own permit system on the South Australian border has…
The Liberal Nationals have again called for the Andrews Government to revisit the restrictions on outdoor Remembrance Day services before Wednesday. Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh said The Nationals have been contacted by RSL Sub-Branches and families of veterans who said it made no sense that 70 people can get together to drink in…
A bold, positive plan to set Victoria on the path to recovery from devastating COVID-19 shutdowns and help businesses to decentralise has been launched today by Leader of The Nationals Peter Walsh. The new plan, Back to Work, Back in Business, is focused on four pillars for recovery that will help Victorians to secure their…
Victoria needs a bold plan for recovery after hundreds of thousands of job losses, two harsh lockdowns and business closures caused by COVID-19. Victoria has been the hardest hit state in the country due to the Andrews Labor Government’s failures in hotel quarantine which caused the state’s second wave. Today, the Liberal Nationals have released a blueprint to get…
Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh said the time had well and truly come for the NSW borders with Victoria to be opened. Mr Walsh said with regional Victoria COVID free for the past fortnight and with hardly any cases in recent months; the border closures had served their purpose. He said with Melbourne’s restrictions…
The Andrew Labor Government has refused to explain why communities and businesses in country Victoria can’t move to the Last Step, despite there being zero new cases in the regions for 14 days. Health Minister Martin Foley was asked in State Parliament to provide the health advice on country restrictions including mandated mask wearing, even…
Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh says Woorinen has had enough of living in the digital darkness and has launched an online petition to end its years in a mobile black spot. Mr Walsh said while the hamlet is only home to 300 people – plus surrounding farmland – it is part of an agricultural…
Agriculture Minister Jaclyn Symes confirmed today the Andrews Labor Government has failed to make progress to fix the seasonal worker shortage facing Victoria’s horticulture sector. Industry has spent months desperately seeking ways to secure more workers after the coronavirus pandemic shut Australia’s borders and resulted in a mass exodus of working holiday makers. Ms Symes…
Infinity owners Tara and Russell Jarrett in their empty Kyabram gym because Daniel Andrews has ignored all evidence to the contrary and refused to let gyms reopen. KYABRAM gym owners Russell and Tara Jarrett can only watch helplessly as their massive investment in the town is being chipped away by the refusal; the failure, of…
There has been much confusion in regional centres about which businesses must be part of the screening and contact detail requirements. Put simply, every non-essential retail business must check photo identification and record the name, phone number and postcode of residence of every customer who enters their shop. If a business is closed in Melbourne,…
Labor Health Minister Martin Foley can’t explain why asymptomatic testing wasn’t offered to customers who were potentially exposed to a Melbourne virus outbreak that’s now spread to regional Victoria. Mr Foley was asked in State Parliament today if he agreed with CHO Brett Sutton that asymptomatic testing for customers of Chadstone’s Butcher Club wasn’t “value…
Health Minister Martin Foley can’t say why regional Victorians need to continue to wear masks, despite a 14-day average of 0.4 and zero cases from an unknown source for the past two weeks. Mr Foley was asked in State Parliament today to provide the evidence for blanket rules across the state, despite just five active…
Dear Editor, Victorians had a win this week with community pressure forcing Daniel Andrews and his Labor Government to abandon their latest shocking power grab by backing down on its controversial COVID-19 Omnibus bill. This was a decision Daniel Andrews didn’t want to make. In the past few weeks, I was contacted by hundreds of…
Daniel Andrews and his government have today been forced to abandon their latest shocking power grab and will now seek to amend their COVID-19 Omnibus bill. Obviously this backdown is not the result of the Andrews Labor Government seeing reason, it is the direct result of community pressure and advocacy from the Liberal Nationals. Labor…
Producers and transport stakeholders in north-west Victoria deserve the truth on how the Andrews Labor Government will revive the stalled Murray Basin Rail Project. Labor shelved the project after Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan squandered the $440 million that was earmarked to deliver it – in full – on cost overruns, inferior rail track and…
Consumers will pay more for fresh fruit and vegetables in coming months if problems with seasonal worker shortages, including for farmers in the Sunraysia, aren’t addressed This week, a report commissioned by Hort Innovation revealed a shortfall of 26,000 workers is expected this year as a result of coronavirus shutdowns that closed international and domestic…
The Andrews Labor Government must release the shackles holding back regional Victoria’s recovery by implementing New South Wales restrictions in country areas. Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton today doubled down on the Andrews Labor Government’s unrealistic roadmap out of lockdown which will force regional Victoria to stay in more weeks of lockdown until case numbers…
There will be enough hands on deck to meet growing demand for high-quality Victorian produce following a successful campaign to increase workforce capacity at meat processors. The industry, supported by the Liberal Nationals, had raised fears in recent weeks that workforce limits at Victorian abattoirs would hamper ability to meet rising consumer demand in spring…
Daniel Andrews must ease his crippling restrictions tomorrow and allow Victoria to safely open up as we recover from Labor’s second wave of coronavirus. The only reason Victoria is currently locked down is because of Daniel Andrews’ inept management of Labor’s hotel quarantine program and botched contact tracing. As a direct result of Andrews’ incompetence…
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has finally, irrevocably, irretrievably, confirmed what most of us have known for a long time – his government is a farce. The Nationals leader Peter Walsh said Daniel Andrews, the man who demanded – and got – emergency powers allowing him to govern any way he likes, without being answerable to…
Comments attributable to Leader of the Opposition, Michael O’Brien: “Daniel Andrews’ testimony to the Hotel Quarantine Inquiry today proves Victorians can have no confidence in this arrogant, lying Premier. Andrews and his ‘gang of eight’ have no choice but to resign. “Victorians have a Premier who will not tell the truth. “Victorians deserve better than…
Family-run cellar doors have been excluded from accessing the Andrews Labor Government’s business support. Wineries desperate for financial relief after months of forced shutdowns have been blocked from the third round of the Business Support Fund grants, which are available to hospitality and retailers. Acting Shadow Minister for Gaming and Liquor Regulation Peter Walsh said…
Dear Editor, Regional Victorians have paid a high price for Daniel Andrews’ mistakes in Melbourne. Resilience is in the blood of country people, but this second shutdown has smashed our businesses and communities. All because Daniel Andrews let the virus slip through the cracks of hotel quarantine. Refusing to accept the Federal Government’s offer of…
Workforce limits on Victorian meat processors must be immediately increased with the appropriate safety precautions to ensure industry can keep up with growing consumer demand. The industry fears it won’t be able to keep up during peak spring season and in the lead up to Christmas if it continues to be restricted to two-thirds of…
HAVING last week raised the matter of driver licence testing for the third time in Parliament, The Nationals have received an undertaking from the Minister it would resume today. But The Nationals Victoria leader Peter Walsh said now the “very overdue” decision to resume licence testing in regional Victoria has been made “it is not…
Member for Murray Plains and The Nationals Victorian leader Peter Walsh has taken the plight of regional Victoria’s health and fitness industry to Parliament. Mr Walsh said at a time when regional Victoria looks set to restart its economy, the jobs – and futures – of more than 40,000 have been left hanging in the…
There’s light at the end of the tunnel as regional Victoria comes out of the second wave. We’ve all had to make choices we never thought we’d be asked to make. As a member for a regional electorate that’s been living the daily pain of border closures, I know all too well the sacrifices we’ve…
Background Labor’s Attorney-General Jill Hennessy has today refused to guarantee that the Andrews Labor Government won’t make changes to the Public Health and Wellbeing Act to stop Victorians from accessing compensation for its destructive coronavirus restrictions. The Public Health and Wellbeing Act allows a person who suffers loss arising from a direction of the Chief…
The Liberal Nationals will move a no-confidence motion in the Premier. It is the first step needed to dissolve the Parliament and allow Victorians to vote the toxic Andrews Labor Government out of office. The no-confidence motion follows a number of failures, cover-ups and lies by Daniel Andrews and his Labor Government including: the avoidable…
Sole traders who run their business from home continue to be overlooked for financial support to help them stay afloat as harsh coronavirus restrictions smash incomes of Victoria’s smallest businesses. The Andrews Labor Government’s latest business support package again fails to provide any funds for Victorians running their own business from home as a sole…
REGIONAL Victoria will tomorrow night move to Step Three of the Victorian Government’s COVID-19 – but freedom is still not on the agenda until the end of November. Premier Daniel Andrews has announced changes which end any restrictions on leaving home, will allow public gatherings of as many as 10 people and see schools go…
Regional Victorians have done the heavy lifting to stop the spread of COVID-19 with restrictions to be eased from 11.59pm tomorrow night (Wednesday 16 September). Each and every country Victorian has been forced to make massive sacrifices to get to this point. People have given up time with family and friends. We’ve missed weddings and…
The Nationals Victorian leader and Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh says the biggest issue we face in Victoria – and an issue that does not exist anywhere else in Australia – is the Daniel Andrews government. Mr Walsh said even though it was part of the national cabinet from the word go, the Andrews…
THERE are people around Australia – I have been trying to help one woman here in the electorate of Murray Plains – desperate to get into other states to farewell loved ones before it is too late. For too many of them, that deadline has passed. Parents, even worse, children, dying in hospitals in other…
The Andrews Labor Government must work with industry to resolve fears the food supply chain will crumble unless workforce restrictions are lifted before the busy Christmas period. Industry has called for the requirement on meat processors and food distribution centres to be safely increased from 67 per cent to make sure there’s enough workers to…
Dear Editor, In good news for 2020, Victorian lamb producers are looking forward to one of the best seasons in years. But there’s massive concern in the industry that if workforce restrictions on meat processors aren’t relaxed soon, particularly in regional areas that have recorded few – if any – cases of coronavirus, that our…
The Andrews Labor Government is acting as a roadblock to private development in regional Victoria. Planning Minister Richard Wynne announced today he will use his ministerial power to fast-track private building approvals, but just $127 million of the $933 million in projects approved are outside the city. Leader of The Nationals and Shadow Minister for…
THE Nationals Victoria leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, says figures just released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics show Victorians are continuing to lose jobs, while at the same time the rest of Australia has started to recover from the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr Walsh said payroll jobs…
LEADER of the Victorian Nationals and Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh said the time has come for Premier Daniel Andrews to go. Mr Walsh said the Premier’s determination to be a one-man band, the hero of the fight against COVID-19 had “failed spectacularly”. And said Victoria was now united in its utter disappointment with…
Comment attributable to Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien Today Victorians have been betrayed; robbed of hope the Andrews Labor Government is getting this crisis under control or is competent to do so. Daniel Andrews promised a roadmap out of lockdown, but instead we’ve got a plan for more lockdowns. Labor is only offering Victorians more job…
Labor MPs have forced through the Andrews Government’s controversial bid to hold onto the power to make decisions over Victorian’s lives and livelihoods. The changes to State of Emergency legislation went before the lower house of State Parliament this afternoon, with Labor MPs using their numbers to push through a six month extension. Leader of…
Following weeks of pressure by the Liberal Nationals to provide Victorians with a road-map, Daniel Andrews has finally agreed to release a guide, but only one week before the harshest lock-downs in the country are due to end. Victorian businesses have continued to express their frustrations in the lack of government direction with many unable…
Victorian wine producers, dairy farmers, barley growers and industry have been hung out to dry by the Andrews Labor Government. In State Parliament today, Agriculture Minister Jaclyn Symes was asked to explain how Labor is standing up for Victorian producers against China’s punitive 80 per cent tariff on Australian barley and further threats to target…
A move by the Andrews Labor Government to extend its power to enforce strict lockdowns on Victorian families and businesses for a further 12 months will not be supported by Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh. The State of Emergency powers allow the Government to impose and enforce restrictions, with no oversight or accountability. Mr…
The Liberal Nationals will oppose Labor’s proposed legislation to extend State of Emergency powers over Victorians for a further 12 months. Victorians deserve a plan out of lockdown. Labor only has a plan to keep us locked down. Victoria is only in the second wave of COVID-19 due to the inexcusable failures of the Andrews…
Families and businesses on the Victoria-New South Wales border are crying out for a solution to strict border closures that are causing chaos and confusion and making it impossible to go about daily life. Leader of The Nationals Peter Walsh said constant changes to the NSW Government’s permit system aren’t workable for farmers, families and…
The Liberal Nationals will vehemently oppose and vote to defeat the Andrews Labor Government’s attempt to extend State of Emergency powers for a further 12 months. The State of Emergency vests enormous power with the Premier and a small number of unelected officials with very little oversight and accountability – proven in recent months with…
We have been receiving a lot of calls and questions to the office regarding the NSW border closure. It light of this we decided to put together the following information explaining border definitions and restrictions that relate to the different regions. I hope you find the following information is useful Please Note: We have…
Victorian farmers who own land in NSW, shearers, harvest contractors and beekeepers will be able to move into NSW without having to quarantine or go via Sydney under a new permit announced today. The NSW Government has announced a ‘Highly Specialised Agriculture Permit’ which will allow exempted Victorian agriculture workers who live within 100km of…
Thursday 13 August 2020 Victorian farmers and harvest contractors fear strict border closures will cripple the nation’s harvest this year, unless special agriculture permits are offered to allow interstate travel. Strict border closures along Victoria’s borders with New South Wales and South Australia are fuelling fears of cost increases and food shortages if supply…
On Sunday 2nd August, the Premier made some very significant announcements regarding restrictions across Victoria. Metropolitan Melbourne is now under Stage 4 restrictions and Regional Victoria (including Mitchell Shire) will return to Stage 3 restrictions from Thursday. Here’s the latest: STAGE 3 STAY AT HOME RESTRICTIONS From 11.59pm Wednesday 5th August regional Victoria will return to…
Regional Victoria is reluctantly re-entering Stage 3 COVID restrictions this week. Like all Victorians, we have done our bit to stop the spread of coronavirus, to save lives and to protect the future of our country businesses and communities. We feel utterly let down by the Andrews Labor Government. Main streets of our country towns…
The Andrews Labor Government’s failure to get coronavirus outbreaks at meatworks under control is threatening the supply of food to supermarket shelves. High demand for meat through the COVID-19 crisis has seen supermarket shelves stripped bare, but the Andrews Labor Government has flagged it will consider closing meat processors as part of its pandemic response.…
Tuesday 28 July 2020 The Andrews Labor Government’s failure to get coronavirus outbreaks at meatworks under control is threatening the supply of food to supermarket shelves. High demand for meat through the COVID-19 crisis has seen supermarket shelves stripped bare, but the Andrews Labor Government has flagged it will consider closing meat processors as…
Empty words from the Andrews Labor Government aren’t enough to fix the challenges facing Victoria’s cross-border communities. While we all understand the critical need to stop the spread of this deadly virus, the closures have forced families apart, cut countless workers off from their workplace and stopped the flow of goods and services. Further restrictions…
Further measures must be enforced to protect regional Victoria from Melbourne’s coronavirus crisis. Unnecessary travel into regional Victoria will only increase the risk of spreading COVID-19, and delay the easing of restrictions in Melbourne and Mitchell Shire. The recent case of a Melbourne woman forcing the shutdown of several businesses in East Gippsland after breaching…
An urgent solution is needed to resolve a ban on seasonal workers crossing into and out of Victoria from midnight tonight. The ban is part of strict new border controls and has left Victoria’s horticulture sector concerned about the supply of labour for the future. Shadow Minister for Agriculture Peter Walsh wrote to Victorian Agriculture…
NSW Border Restrictions Covid-19 – 21 July 2020 On July 20, the NSW Government announced changes to COVID-19 restrictions for those entering and exiting NSW. As of 11.59pm July 21, 2020 the following restrictions come into place (as noted in the NSW Public Health (Covid-19 Border Control) Order 2020 – Dated 20 July 2020) The…
Country communities are worried about the spread of COVID-19 out of Melbourne after the Andrews Labor Government’s failed management of hotel quarantine and contact tracing says The Nationals leader Peter Walsh. He said regional Victorians are demanding Daniel Andrews puts tougher measures in place to deter locked down Melbourne residents from travelling to country areas.…
THE Echuca-Moama COVID-19 bubble has to be urgently reconstructed before it bursts. Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh is co-ordinating business and community demands that checkpoints be moved from the Murray River back as far as the Barmah turnoff. Mr Walsh said the gridlock trying to move so many people through the checkpoint on Meninya…
Young people struggling with their mental health during, and after, the coronavirus pandemic will be able to access targeted, personalised therapy with Orygen through an innovative Victorian Government program. Orygen Specialist Program provides mental health services for young people aged 15 to 25; with a focus on early intervention with those who have severe and/or…
NSW authorities have announced twin town communities along the Murray River will be regarded as ‘bubbles’ and their residents will be treated differently when the NSW-Victoria borders are closed at midnight. This will be the first time the borders have closed since 1919 – and that was at the height of the Spanish Influenza epidemic.…
The Nationals leader Peter Walsh said the Andrews Labor Government has almost, finally, got part of the state’s COVID-19 management plan right. To regard regional Victoria as one area and Melbourne another. Mr Walsh said it has only taken Premier Daniel Andrews months to grasp what the Liberal Nationals have been saying, asking, demanding for…
The decision not to include most of regional Victoria in today’s six week COVID-19 lockdown will provide some long overdue relief for country businesses and communities. Victorians have worked hard to do our bit to stop the spread of the virus and save lives, but the worsening figures in Melbourne cannot be ignored. The bad…
Consumers across the region have been, and are still being, failed badly during COVID-19; with the Andrews Labor Government refusing to provide an adequate avenue for people to have their complaints handled, according to the Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh. He said the Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) website is now the only option for…
Regional Victoria must be allowed to hang out the ‘open’ sign now before it is beyond recovery. The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh said the urgent need is now “as beyond discussion as it is beyond a joke”. Mr Walsh said northern Victoria has been shackled to the shambles of the…
The Andrews Labor Government has no choice – it either locks down Melbourne’s hotspots and deals with the crisis of climbing COVID-19 case numbers – or it condemns the whole state to potential disaster according to The Nationals leader Peter Walsh. He said Premier Daniel Andrews has already failed northern Victoria on a massive scale…
Northern Victoria’s financial future is being held to ransom by Melbourne’s out-of-control COVID-19 outbreaks, which is seeing new case numbers explode in the past week. Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh said Australia had a total of 47 new cases on Saturday – and 41 of them were in Victoria. None of them in Campaspe…
Daniel Andrews’ city-centric shutdowns are unfairly costing jobs in at local businesses in Kerang and district. Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh said a sudden backflip on coronavirus restrictions from the Andrews Government over the weekend had blindsided local restaurants, cafes, hotels and bars that had planned to reopen to 50 diners. “Coronavirus shutdowns…
Daniel Andrews’ city-centric shutdowns are unfairly costing jobs in at local businesses in Kyabram. Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh said a sudden backflip on coronavirus restrictions from the Andrews Government over the weekend had blindsided local restaurants, cafes, hotels and bars that had planned to reopen to 50 diners. “Coronavirus shutdowns have smashed…
Daniel Andrews’ city-centric shutdowns are unfairly costing jobs in at local businesses in Swan Hill. Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh said a sudden backflip on coronavirus restrictions from the Andrews Government over the weekend had blindsided local restaurants, cafes, hotels and bars that had planned to reopen to 50 diners. “Coronavirus shutdowns have…
Daniel Andrews’ city-centric shutdowns are unfairly costing jobs in at local businesses in Echuca. Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh said a sudden backflip on coronavirus restrictions from the Andrews Government over the weekend had blindsided local restaurants, cafes, hotels and bars that had planned to reopen to 50 diners. “Coronavirus shutdowns have smashed…
Daniel Andrews’ city-centric shutdowns are unfairly costing jobs in at local businesses in Rochester. Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh said a sudden backflip on coronavirus restrictions from the Andrews Government over the weekend had blindsided local restaurants, cafes, hotels and bars that had planned to reopen to 50 diners. “Coronavirus shutdowns have smashed…
Daniel Andrews’ city-centric shutdowns are unfairly costing jobs in regional Victoria. Victorian food service businesses had planned to reopen to 50 people on Monday under a planned easing of coronavirus restrictions. Leader of The Nationals and Shadow Minister for Regional Victoria and Decentralisation Peter Walsh said the Andrews Labor Government had blindsided country businesses with…
Dear Editor, After dealing with the impact of catastrophic bushfires, years of drought and now the pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic our farmers need some certainty. In recent years, massive increases to farm rates in some Local Government Areas have pushed up farmers’ rates burden by tens of thousands of dollars. With many councils now…
The Liberal Nationals are calling on the Andrews Government to allow people living in communities with no active COVID-19 cases to be allowed to return to work. This week in Parliament, the Leader of the Nationals, Peter Walsh, asked the Premier why were people living in regional Victoria being prevented from going back to work,…
Winding back of COVID-19 restrictions in Victoria must be common sense. Daniel Andrews’s blanket ban on all Victorians going back to the workplace unfairly disadvantages regional communities, particularly those that have never recorded a positive case of COVID-19. Today in State Parliament, the Premier refused to consider excluding country people from the work from home…
Agriculture Minister Jaclyn Symes must explain why funds intended to provide direct employment in the agriculture sector will instead be used to prop up new jobs at Victoria’s Catchment Management Authorities (CMAs). The Andrews Government announced today that part of the $50 million Agriculture Workforce Plan will go to “job creation projects” at five of…
THE Andrews Labor Government may send some – or all – of Echuca’s leading entertainment venues to the wall because of the Premier’s refusal to help protect the town’s local economy. On Monday Moama Bowling Club, the Border Inn, Moama RSL and Rich River Golf Club will be allowed to reopen. Member for Murray Plains…
On Sunday 24 May, the Premier announced plans for further easing of COVID-19 restrictions in Victoria as part of step 2. Two dates have been outlined in June, with phase one of Step 2 to be implemented from 1 June and phase two of Step 2 to be implemented from 22 June. Separately, changes are…
Small and medium sized businesses in the Murray Plains electorate will save hundreds of thousands of dollars under The Nationals’ plan for further payroll tax relief. The call to immediately implement temporary payroll tax relief measures for all local businesses on the first $10 million of annual payroll will help get locals back on…
The Liberal Nationals have unveiled a bold and ambitious plan to get Victoria back to work and back in business. With National Cabinet easing restrictions, the Andrews Labor Government must act swiftly to get Victorians back to work and back in business. The Plan details how the State Government can help Victorians secure their personal…
The Liberal Nationals are today proposing a $1 billion ‘Bringing Manufacturing Home’ Fund to encourage businesses to bring facilities back to Victoria, grow local manufacturing and boost innovation. Over the past 20 years more than 50,000 Victorian manufacturing jobs have been lost. A COVID-19 response is urgently needed to create jobs. With COVID-19 restrictions easing,…
The Liberal Nationals are urging the State Government to adopt a jobs target that would see Victorians who lost their jobs to the COVID-19 restrictions back to work and back in business. Coronavirus has devastated Victoria’s economy, with thousands of small businesses forced to shut and hundreds of thousands of jobs forecast to be lost.…
The Liberal Nationals are calling on the Andrews Labor Government to immediately implement temporary payroll tax relief to help Victorians get back to work and back in business. With Victoria losing more jobs than any other state in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Liberal Nationals are proposing urgent action by the Victorian Government…
Regional communities have been hit hard by drought, bushfire and now the coronavirus pandemic. Travel bans put in place to stop the spread of COVID-19 meant visitation to country Victoria was smashed overnight. If we do not take bold steps now to restore Victoria’s tourism sector, our regional tourism businesses – which employ an estimated…
On May 11, the Victorian Government announced changes to COVID-19 restrictions in Victoria. Premier Daniel Andrews has extended the State of Emergency in Victoria until May 31 with the following changes which I have endeavoured to summarise for you below. These changes come into effect on Wednesday May 13. The Stay at Home rules remain…
Thousands of Victorians have added their name to a petition demanding the Andrews Government reconsider its politically-motivated ban on recreational sales of firearms and ammunition. On March 31, thousands of legitimate, law-abiding recreational hunters in Victoria were told they would be prevented from purchasing from retail outlets as part of COVID-19 restrictions. The petition, supported…
Dear Editor, Victoria’s blanket bans on solo recreational activities have never made sense. While we can get out for a socially distant walk along the river with a friend or to play basketball outdoors, solo pursuits like fishing, hunting, golf, prospecting and horse riding are off the menu. It’s particularly frustrating when you consider other…
Community pressure, with support from The Nationals, has forced the Andrews Labor Government to exclude JobKeeper payments from Victorian payroll tax and WorkCover premiums. Leader of The Nationals and Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh said it never should have been on the table for the State Government to try and tax Federal JobKeeper payments.…
Pressure from The Nationals has forced the Andrews Labor Government to back down on its decision to exclude entire sectors of small business from COVID-19 support. This Fund promised $10,000 grants to Victorian small businesses below the payroll tax threshold which suffered severe financial damage due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Leader of The Nationals and…
Bans in place to stop the spread of COVID-19 must be common sense. Victorians who live in country communities are rightly frustrated with the Andrews Labor Government’s decision to put a blanket ban on all recreational fishing and hunting – even for those who live nearby rivers, lakes, forests and wetlands. Leader of The Nationals…
