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Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud has pleaded with Premier Daniel Andrews to begin accepting thousands of seasonal workers to pick ripening summer crops, as farmers accuse the state and federal governments of passing the buck .
Victorian farmers require an estimated 26,000 workers within weeks, but there is no agreed plan to plug the labour shortfall. Of the approximately 140,000 backpackers who usually occupy about 80 per cent of the seasonal workforce, about 90,000 have left the country.
Catherine Velisha says the repercussions of the labour shortage have yet to be felt and the emotional and financial burden on farmers will be dire.
Credit:Scott McNaughton
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Minister Jaclyn Symes will replace Jill Hennessy as Victoria s Attorney-General, while another regional MP, Mary-Anne Thomas, will join the Andrews government cabinet.
Ms Symes, an upper house member for Northern Victoria, will become the state s first law officer and hand over her responsibilities for regional development and agriculture to Ms Thomas, the member for Macedon.
Daniel Andrews with Jacyln Symes in March.
Credit:Joe Armao
The new Attorney-General, who holds a law degree from Deakin University, will retain her responsibility for the resources portfolio and continue to serve as leader of the government in the Legislative Council.
Premier Daniel Andrews, in a statement announcing the frontbench changes, said Ms Symes would have big shoes to fill after Ms Hennessy resigned last week.
Charm and disarm: Farm boy Dan Tehan embarks on diplomatic challenge
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Charm and disarm: Farm boy Dan Tehan embarks on diplomatic challenge
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Behind Dan Tehan’s country drawl is a man well versed in diplomacy, political theory and international relations.
In a decade in federal Parliament he has managed to avoid drawing attention to the fact he’s actually an establishment figure, born into the Liberal Party, politics and schooled in Melbourne’s influential Catholic network.
Dan Tehan has long been underestimated and regarded as a country bumpkin, despite his establishment roots.
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A $200 million rescue package has been put forward from the federal government to restart the stalled Murray Basin Freight Rail network.
Work on the trouble-plagued project - which was meant to have standardised 1000 kilometres of track in Victoria s west - stopped in June last year, with the Victorian Auditor-General later slamming the Andrews government s mismanagement.
The Murray Rail project is intended to upgrade rail transport in Victoria s west.
Credit:Pat Scala
In May the federal Coalition was handed a revised business case that recommended further federal investment to kick start the work.
Federal Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Minister Michael McCormack said on Wednesday the package would fund the most extensive package of works recommended by the revised business case, which includes remedying key issues caused by works to date.
Federal Government commits additional $200 million to troubled Victorian rail freight project
WedWednesday 16
updated
WedWednesday 16
DecDecember 2020 at 3:07am
The Commonwealth has committed more than $200 million to fix regional Victoria s troubled freight rail project.
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The Federal Government has committed an additional $200 million to a regional Victorian rail project that ran out of funding more than a year ago.
Key points:
Farmers in Victoria s north-west are landlocked and facing significant costs because of the lack of rail access to ports, advocates say
A stalled project to improve the situation will receive a Federal cash injection, but State politicians say the money won t magic the problems away