Labor’s proposed carbon tax, independent youth allowance, the draft Murray Darling Basin plan, food labelling and supermarkets slashing food prices dominated much of the meeting held by the Young National’s branch held last week.
The AGM was held on Friday and the branch elected its executive. They are Ian McColl as Chairman, Timothy Dowling and Owen Parker as joint Vice Chairman, Dorothy Nash as Treasurer and Secretary, and Tahlia Robertson as Publicity Officer.
Young-based Senator, Fiona Nash, briefed the meeting on Labor’s proposed Carbon Tax and the ramifications it will have on families and business in rural and regional communities like Young.
“It will increase the cost of electricity by at least $300 a year, petrol by six and a half cents a litre, with higher costs flowing through to everything every Australian individual, family and business does,” she said.
She added $81.9 million has so far been spent administering an ETS that doesn’t even exist.
Senator Nash, as the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Education, also gave an update on the Liberal-National Coalition’s campaign to make Independent Youth Allowance fair for all regional students. Efforts to bring forward a review and address the inequity by July this year were again blocked by the regional Independents and Labor. She assured the meeting she and the Coalition won’t give up the fight.
Local Nationals members raised concerns about supermarkets slashing the price of milk and the impact on dairy farmers. Senator Nash discussed the senate inquiry that’s investigating the matter. She said it’s crucial that companies, not just government, have polices in place that encourage farmers to be profitable.
“There should be an obligation to not let their corporate agenda threaten the livelihood of our farmers which is happening right now by slashing milk, egg and bread prices,” Senator Nash said.
She added there should also be proper and transparent food labelling so consumers can easily tell where products come from and if they’re imports.
The impact of proposed water cuts under the draft Murray Darling Basin plan on food security and local farmers was also discussed at the meeting. Senator Nash said the water cuts would devastate farming towns in the Basin. The meeting commended the NSW Coalition’s Shadow Minister for Natural Resource Management and Nationals Member for Burrinjuck, Katrina Hodgkinson, for her fight against the water cuts at the state level.
A local issue that was raised was the manning of the Young police station and unsuitable facilities. The matter will brought to the attention of the NSW Coalition which will hopefully be elected to government later this month.
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