Interview with Chris Kenny, Sky News 'The Kenny Report' - Transcript - Thursday 31 July 2025

‍DR ANNE WEBSTER MP

SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND TERRITORIES
SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS

FEDERAL MEMBER FOR MALLEE

TOPICS:

Recognising State of Palestine, Question Time, Energy Prices, Melbourne protest against National Electricity (Victoria) Amendment (VicGrid Stage 2 Reform) Bill 2025

KENNY

Let's go to Anne Webster, the Shadow Minister for Regional Development, she joins us live from Canberra. Thanks for joining us, Anne. I want to get you on domestic politics as it unfolded in Parliament today. But first on this, are you worried about Labor's open courting of supporting recognition of the State of Palestine, which really in practical terms, now looks further away than it has done for decades?

WEBSTER

Look, Chris, I think that the history lesson that you have just given your viewers is extremely valuable. We need to remember Hamas is a terrorist organisation. They could stop this right now by releasing the hostages, by laying down their weapons and walking away. I think for the UK, for Australia, to get involved in this is really for domestic politics. Let's call it what it is. You called it blather. I would say it's actually about domestic politics. Starmer has his own concerns in the UK, where threats of takeover - and, you know - I have no idea what the Albanese government thinks it's going to gain by engaging in this. This is a prolonged and awful situation that could be easily remedied. And I absolutely agree with you there should be no reward to Hamas for their behaviour since, you know, two years ago nearly, and where we are now, with hostages still being held and no relief in sight.  

KENNY

Yeah, well said, let's get back to domestic politics. I showed how the coalition in question time today really focused on power prices. Obviously, it's a vulnerability for Labor, obviously it's hurting people and businesses around the country. But Bowen seems so smug about it. He's doubling down on his renewables transition plan. He doesn't even seem to recognise the difficulty these  skyrocketing prices are causing for people!

WEBSTER

100% - I think you know, you called him sunshine before. Maybe he's the only sunshine in the renewable space. It's certainly not sunshine for Australians and in my electorate, of course, as you know, where we have the rush to renewables, and we've been delegated as a REZ (a renewable energy zone) - it's nothing but pain. I think the protests that took place yesterday is - what I'm told by the farmers who were there, who were, you know, engaged ...

KENNY  

... Let me just jump in, Anne, just, let me jump in there, while we show those pictures, explain that protest in Melbourne, what was behind it and what's come from it?

WEBSTER  

Well, the protest was about legislation that the Victorian Government are putting in. In fact, it's going through the house right now. Debate is taking place in the Legislative Assembly in Victoria, and it is about the draconian laws that Labor are wanting to bring in where they can fine farmers who have their gates shut from allowing Transmission Company Victoria to enter, and they can enter using bolt cutters. They can basically break in and enter. And the Victorian Labour government wants to make that law that it is ok. Well, you know what? It's not OK with the farmers who were at that protest yesterday. And I've spoken with Andrew Weidemann today about how it went, because obviously I'm in Canberra, and he said that it is really interesting to see Melbourne people residents coming out and supporting them. That is fantastic and as I said to him more than 12 months ago, we need to get city people to understand what the Victorian government and the federal government too are imposing on regional communities, so I'm just really pleased to see that Melbourne is starting to step up and support their country cousins and stand up against this awful Victorian Government.  

KENNY

Those Melburnian comedians from Working Dog need to remake the movie The Castle and make it a farmer trying to stop transmission lines going through their property! It's redolent of those sorts of Aussie values, isn't it? Thanks so much for joining us. Anne. I really appreciate it. Anne Webster there, who's the member for the Federal member the Nationals, Member for Mallee in western Victoria.