No meetings with farming groups for Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins during WA cabinet visit
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was expected to host his new-look Cabinet to WA this week, marking its first trip west since Labor's landslide election win in May.
Ms Collins' office told the Countryman that the Agriculture Minister would visit WA as part of the Cabinet visit, but said there would be no chance for a media interview or photograph due to a tight schedule.
A spokeswoman for Ms Collins said the Agriculture Minister would hold multiple meetings across her portfolio, including with forestry and viticulture stakeholders, while visiting WA but declined to specify exactly who.
Ms Collins' office also declined to say if the Minister would be meeting with any agricultural stakeholders or farmers.
WAFarmers president Steve McGuire and chief executive Trevor Whittington confirmed the organisation had received no contact from Ms Collins' office.
Pastoralists and Graziers Association of WA president Tony Seabrook said he had heard 'zilch' from Ms Collins' office regarding her WA visit.
'How dare they? We are the only two organisations in WA (PGA and WAFarmers) and they won't even talk to us,' he said.
'We produce the food that you eat, we export enough food overseas to feed another 40 or 50 million people and you won't talk to us — you won't even acknowledge that we exist.'
Ms Collins retained her portfolio as Agriculture Minister following a shake-up in Labor's second term ministry following the May 3 election.
The Tasmanian MP has held the seat of Franklin since 2007 and was announced as Agriculture Minister in July, 2024, taking over from Queensland senator Anthony Chisholm.
She has been re-elected five times and has previously held shadow ministry positions for employment services, ageing and mental health, and women.
Ms Collins' last visited WA in October where she announced an additional $32.7 million as part of a $139 million package to assist farmers transition away from the live sheep export.
Her request during the previous trip to visit a live sheep export feedlot in Peel was rejected by the owners.
The WA visit is Mr Albanese's 35th visit since taking the top job as Prime Minister in 2022, and the third time he has brought his cabinet to Perth.
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Staying local also allows chefs to help with "eating the problem" invasive species cause to the environment. Mr Mele is planning to add sea urchin to his menu to reduce their impact on Tasmanian reefs. "We've got a huge problem with sea urchins on the East Coast literally trashing the reefs up and down from St Helens down to the Tasmania Peninsula," he said. Executive producer of agriCULTURED Sarah Blacklock said Tasmania was a "food bowl" with incredible produce. agriCULTURED aims to create a better and deeper understanding of sustainable, resilient food systems that prioritise people and the planet through their festival and events. "As the planet heats, your prices at the supermarket are going to rise," Ms Blacklock said. "You might not feel like you're connected to agriculture, but everyone is." 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"It's great to see these guys creating dishes which are just fantastic [from local ingredients], rather than importing from the mainland," Mr Shea said. Fresh, local produce not only tantalises the taste buds but also brings about significant benefits for both the environment and the economy, according to TV chef Massimo Mele. The well-known Tasmanian chef said circular agriculture economies and supporting local producers are better for the environment and the economy. Mr Mele is the food director at Launceston's Grain of the Silos and started filming season two of The Chef's Garden in March, visiting and speaking to producers across the state. He said the SBS series wasn't just about showcasing beautiful, local produce, but understanding the challenges that producers face to best work with them. Massimo said one challenge was the short seasons Tasmania has, giving restaurants a small window to utilise what's available and limiting the volume of produce grown. 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Staying local also allows chefs to help with "eating the problem" invasive species cause to the environment. Mr Mele is planning to add sea urchin to his menu to reduce their impact on Tasmanian reefs. "We've got a huge problem with sea urchins on the East Coast literally trashing the reefs up and down from St Helens down to the Tasmania Peninsula," he said. Executive producer of agriCULTURED Sarah Blacklock said Tasmania was a "food bowl" with incredible produce. agriCULTURED aims to create a better and deeper understanding of sustainable, resilient food systems that prioritise people and the planet through their festival and events. "As the planet heats, your prices at the supermarket are going to rise," Ms Blacklock said. "You might not feel like you're connected to agriculture, but everyone is." She said people's plates "hold the power" to drive change through supporting sustainable agriculture and reducing food waste, embracing a circular economy, supporting local farmers and businesses, growing food in backyard and community gardens, and making climate-conscious choices. "In the words of the great poet Wendell Berry, eating is an agricultural act," she said. "It's good for our economy, it's good for Northern Tas, it's good for Tasmania as a whole, and it's good for our planet." Season two of The Chef's Garden will hit Aussie screens later this year, promoting sustainable eating practices, Tasmanian agriculture and a circular agriculture economy. Producers like George Shea, owner of Lyndall Lamb, will be featured. Lyndall Lamb focuses specifically on boutique, high-quality marbled lamb products. He said buying local produce was the best way to support Tasmanian farmers and producers, and it was fantastic that chefs were on board. "It's great to see these guys creating dishes which are just fantastic [from local ingredients], rather than importing from the mainland," Mr Shea said. Fresh, local produce not only tantalises the taste buds but also brings about significant benefits for both the environment and the economy, according to TV chef Massimo Mele. The well-known Tasmanian chef said circular agriculture economies and supporting local producers are better for the environment and the economy. Mr Mele is the food director at Launceston's Grain of the Silos and started filming season two of The Chef's Garden in March, visiting and speaking to producers across the state. He said the SBS series wasn't just about showcasing beautiful, local produce, but understanding the challenges that producers face to best work with them. Massimo said one challenge was the short seasons Tasmania has, giving restaurants a small window to utilise what's available and limiting the volume of produce grown. 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Staying local also allows chefs to help with "eating the problem" invasive species cause to the environment. Mr Mele is planning to add sea urchin to his menu to reduce their impact on Tasmanian reefs. "We've got a huge problem with sea urchins on the East Coast literally trashing the reefs up and down from St Helens down to the Tasmania Peninsula," he said. Executive producer of agriCULTURED Sarah Blacklock said Tasmania was a "food bowl" with incredible produce. agriCULTURED aims to create a better and deeper understanding of sustainable, resilient food systems that prioritise people and the planet through their festival and events. "As the planet heats, your prices at the supermarket are going to rise," Ms Blacklock said. "You might not feel like you're connected to agriculture, but everyone is." She said people's plates "hold the power" to drive change through supporting sustainable agriculture and reducing food waste, embracing a circular economy, supporting local farmers and businesses, growing food in backyard and community gardens, and making climate-conscious choices. "In the words of the great poet Wendell Berry, eating is an agricultural act," she said. "It's good for our economy, it's good for Northern Tas, it's good for Tasmania as a whole, and it's good for our planet." Season two of The Chef's Garden will hit Aussie screens later this year, promoting sustainable eating practices, Tasmanian agriculture and a circular agriculture economy. Producers like George Shea, owner of Lyndall Lamb, will be featured. Lyndall Lamb focuses specifically on boutique, high-quality marbled lamb products. He said buying local produce was the best way to support Tasmanian farmers and producers, and it was fantastic that chefs were on board. "It's great to see these guys creating dishes which are just fantastic [from local ingredients], rather than importing from the mainland," Mr Shea said. Fresh, local produce not only tantalises the taste buds but also brings about significant benefits for both the environment and the economy, according to TV chef Massimo Mele. The well-known Tasmanian chef said circular agriculture economies and supporting local producers are better for the environment and the economy. Mr Mele is the food director at Launceston's Grain of the Silos and started filming season two of The Chef's Garden in March, visiting and speaking to producers across the state. He said the SBS series wasn't just about showcasing beautiful, local produce, but understanding the challenges that producers face to best work with them. Massimo said one challenge was the short seasons Tasmania has, giving restaurants a small window to utilise what's available and limiting the volume of produce grown. Local corn is only available for about four weeks, and white asparagus for about three. As part of his commitment to eating local, he said his restaurants use around 90 per cent Tasmanian produce. Instead of buying off the mainland, their menus change to reflect what is seasonally available. "Ultimately, we try and educate people and say 'hey, at the moment you won't find tomatoes on the menu until January," Mr Mele said. Or the kitchen teams utilise European preserving techniques. "It's that European way of preserving when it's in abundance, the summer harvest, and then we get to use it [all year]." Mr Mele said maintaining this circular agrarian economy lowered environmental impact, bolstered the local economy, created community and celebrated the produce available in Tasmania. "We don't go and get something that comes from the mainland wrapped in plastic and sits on a boat," Mr Mele said. "[And] we wanted to make sure that through that we've created a community." Staying local also allows chefs to help with "eating the problem" invasive species cause to the environment. Mr Mele is planning to add sea urchin to his menu to reduce their impact on Tasmanian reefs. "We've got a huge problem with sea urchins on the East Coast literally trashing the reefs up and down from St Helens down to the Tasmania Peninsula," he said. Executive producer of agriCULTURED Sarah Blacklock said Tasmania was a "food bowl" with incredible produce. agriCULTURED aims to create a better and deeper understanding of sustainable, resilient food systems that prioritise people and the planet through their festival and events. "As the planet heats, your prices at the supermarket are going to rise," Ms Blacklock said. "You might not feel like you're connected to agriculture, but everyone is." She said people's plates "hold the power" to drive change through supporting sustainable agriculture and reducing food waste, embracing a circular economy, supporting local farmers and businesses, growing food in backyard and community gardens, and making climate-conscious choices. "In the words of the great poet Wendell Berry, eating is an agricultural act," she said. "It's good for our economy, it's good for Northern Tas, it's good for Tasmania as a whole, and it's good for our planet." Season two of The Chef's Garden will hit Aussie screens later this year, promoting sustainable eating practices, Tasmanian agriculture and a circular agriculture economy. Producers like George Shea, owner of Lyndall Lamb, will be featured. Lyndall Lamb focuses specifically on boutique, high-quality marbled lamb products. He said buying local produce was the best way to support Tasmanian farmers and producers, and it was fantastic that chefs were on board. 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The Advertiser
an hour ago
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Work from home a legal right in Australian-first reform
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Employees will be legally allowed to demand to work from home two days a week if an Australian-first proposed law is passed. The Victorian government has promised to introduce legislation to make working from home a right in 2026, in contrast to other states that want public servants to spend more time in the office. The proposed law would apply to all public and private sector employees in Victoria who can reasonably do their job from home. Yet to be determined are the legislation's definition of remote work, who can do it and the types of businesses the law would apply to, but the government promised to consult before its introduction to parliament in 2026. It sets up a major contest with business groups in an election year, with Labor seeking a fourth consecutive term that polls indicate it's on track to win. The November 2026 election will be the first as premier for Jacinta Allan, who lags opposition leader Brad Battin as preferred state leader. Ms Allan said legislating the right to work from home was good for families and the economy. "Not everyone can work from home, but everyone can benefit," she said. "If you can do your job from home, we'll make it your right." The coalition's push to end to working-from-home for public servants was partly blamed for its unsuccessful result at the May federal election, despite abandoning the policy before polling day. NSW Premier Chris Minns has described remote-work provisions as a thing of the past but stopped short of seeking an end to working from home, instead ordering public servants to work principally in offices. More than one third of Australian employees usually work from home but that number swells to 60 per cent of managers and people in professional services, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The bureau says 43 per cent who work from home do overtime, compared to one quarter of those who do not. Employees will be legally allowed to demand to work from home two days a week if an Australian-first proposed law is passed. The Victorian government has promised to introduce legislation to make working from home a right in 2026, in contrast to other states that want public servants to spend more time in the office. The proposed law would apply to all public and private sector employees in Victoria who can reasonably do their job from home. Yet to be determined are the legislation's definition of remote work, who can do it and the types of businesses the law would apply to, but the government promised to consult before its introduction to parliament in 2026. It sets up a major contest with business groups in an election year, with Labor seeking a fourth consecutive term that polls indicate it's on track to win. The November 2026 election will be the first as premier for Jacinta Allan, who lags opposition leader Brad Battin as preferred state leader. Ms Allan said legislating the right to work from home was good for families and the economy. "Not everyone can work from home, but everyone can benefit," she said. "If you can do your job from home, we'll make it your right." The coalition's push to end to working-from-home for public servants was partly blamed for its unsuccessful result at the May federal election, despite abandoning the policy before polling day. NSW Premier Chris Minns has described remote-work provisions as a thing of the past but stopped short of seeking an end to working from home, instead ordering public servants to work principally in offices. More than one third of Australian employees usually work from home but that number swells to 60 per cent of managers and people in professional services, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The bureau says 43 per cent who work from home do overtime, compared to one quarter of those who do not. Employees will be legally allowed to demand to work from home two days a week if an Australian-first proposed law is passed. The Victorian government has promised to introduce legislation to make working from home a right in 2026, in contrast to other states that want public servants to spend more time in the office. The proposed law would apply to all public and private sector employees in Victoria who can reasonably do their job from home. Yet to be determined are the legislation's definition of remote work, who can do it and the types of businesses the law would apply to, but the government promised to consult before its introduction to parliament in 2026. It sets up a major contest with business groups in an election year, with Labor seeking a fourth consecutive term that polls indicate it's on track to win. The November 2026 election will be the first as premier for Jacinta Allan, who lags opposition leader Brad Battin as preferred state leader. Ms Allan said legislating the right to work from home was good for families and the economy. "Not everyone can work from home, but everyone can benefit," she said. "If you can do your job from home, we'll make it your right." The coalition's push to end to working-from-home for public servants was partly blamed for its unsuccessful result at the May federal election, despite abandoning the policy before polling day. NSW Premier Chris Minns has described remote-work provisions as a thing of the past but stopped short of seeking an end to working from home, instead ordering public servants to work principally in offices. More than one third of Australian employees usually work from home but that number swells to 60 per cent of managers and people in professional services, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The bureau says 43 per cent who work from home do overtime, compared to one quarter of those who do not.
Sky News AU
an hour ago
- Sky News AU
Victorian Premier launches push to make work from home legal right
Working from home for two days a week could become a legal right in Victoria, under new plans proposed by Premier Jacinta Allan. The state government is promising to introduce the law — covering both public and private sectors — by next year, with it applying to anyone who can 'reasonably' carry out their work away from the office. Ms Allan will tell the annual state Labor conference: 'Working from home works for families and it's good for the economy. 'Day after day, unions are being contacted by workers who have been denied reasonable requests to work from home, and across the country, Liberals are drawing up plans to abolish work-from-home and force workers back to the office and back to the past. 'That's why the Allan Labor government is acting. Enshrining work from home in law means this life-changing practice isn't something you or your loved ones have to politely ask for. It's a right you'll be entitled to.' She will add that a consultation will take place on the proposed Australia-first law, but added it won't determine if the plans should go ahead. 'We're already clear on that: it should be. We just need the appropriate laws to reflect it,' she said. Ms Allan said the new policy is aimed directly at supporting families, promising average savings of $110 per week, or $5308 annually in commuting costs. 'Work from home supports women with children, carers and people with a disability to work,' Ms Allan said. 'Thanks to work from home, workforce participation is 4.4 per cent higher than before the pandemic.' The legislation is expected to be introduced later this year. The move follows significant debate about work from home policies during the federal election, with Peter Dutton forced to backtrack on a proposed policy to limit remote work for public servants due to public backlash. Originally published as Victorians could soon have the right to work from home two days a week
