Bev McArthur MP | Politician
Bev McArthur MP
Phone: +61 3 4245 4430
Address: Suite 5, 400 404 Pakington Street, Newtown 3220 Geelong, VIC, Australia
Website: http://www.bevmcarthur.com
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25.01.2022 For three years the State Government sat on a engineer's report that said the Mount Gellibrand fire tower had "reached the end of its service life". Now, the tower, which provides crucial early detection of fires in Western Victoria, is set to go unmanned this fire season. This Government's incompetence puts Victorians' lives in danger.... Thanks to the Colac Herald for their excellent coverage of this very important issue.
25.01.2022 Labor are borrowing heavily and spending heavily - $346,000,000,000 in four years, as this week's Budget reveals. Yet Treasurer Tim Pallas can't find $300,000 - less than 0.001% of the total - for vital fire infrastructure in Western Victoria. The closure of Mount Gellibrand Fire Tower is a disgrace.
25.01.2022 In the early hours of this morning, a coalition made up of Labor & 3 MPs from the Greens, the Reason & Animal Justice Parties passed legislation to extend extraordinary powers of a Govt obsessed with controlling the lives of Victorians through an unelected health bureaucrat. Today if reports are correct, a pregnant woman in Ballarat in my Western Victoria Region electorate, was arrested, handcuffed & led away by police in front of her children on the charge of incitement. He...r crime was to put a post on FB inviting people, in social distance fashion, to a rally to protest about the infringement of personal freedom by this Andrews Govt. This action is the end result of a Govt exercising extraordinary powers just because they can. No amount of questioning of Ministers or bureaucrats ever illicits the medical evidence justifying their control freak dictates. The Police Minister, Lisa Neville needs to immediately justify her directions to police. This is the same Minister who said no fines would be applied to 10,000 BLM protesters in Melbournes CBD. This is the same Minister who refuses to answer my questions about millions of taxpayer dollars spent on guns. The same Minister who wants to remove licences from gun owners if they break some edict, like wearing masks. Is there anyone who still wants to question why I, along with my 10 Coalition colleagues and 8 other cross-benchers, including 2 Lib Dems - Limbrick & Quilty, 2 Hinch Party - Grimley & Maxwell, 1 Transport Matters Party - Barton, 1 Shooters, Fishers & Farmers Party - Bourman, 1 Sustainable Australia - Hayes & 1 Independent - Cumming; voted against this extension of power? This is in no way a criticism of police - Lisa Neville & Daniel Andrews should apologise to the police for forcing them into these sort of police state type actions that should be completely foreign in our once fabulous State of Victoria.
24.01.2022 Give Dad a Hug. On this Fathers Day when so many fathers are separated from their children and grandchildren, I am Giving a Hug to all Fathers, especially those suffering cruel lock down restrictions in Victoria. A special hug for my son, James in London who is a first time Dad to George and this is his first Australian Fathers Day. ... To all the first time Dads who cant share their joy with their Dads, I give you a special hug.
23.01.2022 Great podcast by Gideon Rozner - watch it please.
22.01.2022 Warrnambool ratepayers deserve transparency and answers about why the Council CEO was sacked, seemingly without reason. I told the Parliament last week, "the chief municipal inspector has announced an investigation into the sacking" and "last December the Victorian Ombudsman began investigating potential credit card fraud at Warrnambool City Council". Both reports must be released prior to the upcoming council elections.
21.01.2022 Increasingly and thankfully, the medical profession are prepared to speak out about the Victorian Govts failed approach to controlling the spread of the virus and now their criteria for ending their draconian shut down of business and the house arrest of households.
21.01.2022 In the early hours of the morning, the Labor Government passed their legislation which will allow an extension of the State of Emergency by 6 months, with the help of Animal Justice Party MP Andy Meddick, Reason Party MP Fiona Patten and Greens MP Samantha Ratnam. These three MPs have betrayed their constituents and the state of Victoria, by giving this reckless Government more unrestricted powers to trample on individuals rights and freedoms. This legislation is offensive to common sense and truth, not to mention, a free society.
21.01.2022 In Western Victoria, there are a total of 153 active cases (99 of which are in Melton) across over 79,000 square kilometres and 863,490 people. We need to unlock Western Victoria, and most of rural and regional Victoria, whether it is by bubble, local government area or postcode - it doesnt matter. Just so long as we get life and business back to some form of normality. We need to learn to manage the virus, given that an elimination strategy is about as achievable as eliminating the flu and hanging out for a vaccine could last years.
20.01.2022 Extraordinary to think that the Andrews Labor Government could even consider rendering a vital fire lookout tower unfit for purpose on the eve of the summer bushfire season. This tower at Mt Gellibrand with unsurpassed 360 degree visual capacity to the Otways, Geelong, Grampians etc was built by the community over forty years ago and has been manned by highly knowledgeable locals ever since. Its spotters have picked up small spot fires before they became raging infernos. Th...e Government through its ‘professional’ fire fighting arm have been sitting on an engineer’s report for three years which declared the tower unsafe. A few hundred thousand dollars would fix the problem and the wonderful CFA volunteers would be back in business keeping us safe. Very pleased to attend a community ‘Covid safe’ gathering organised by local property owner, Marianne Stewart and others, including CFA volunteers. Polwarth MP Richard Riordan has vigorously supported the community on the issue and it was great that Shadow Emergency Services Minister, Nick Wakeling could also assure locals of his advocacy on the matter. It was also good to have Surf Coast Shire Crs Heather Wellington and Paul Barker on hand to lend their support for retention of this essential piece of fire fighting infrastructure.
19.01.2022 The outrageous compulsory acquisition of the Larcombe familys property will slice one of Victorias oldest farms in two and potentially render it unviable. Residents in the area unanimously oppose this careless decision by Rail Projects Victoria and are greatly concerned about the noise and air pollution that the stabling facility will generate, not to mention the destruction of the Larcombe familys agricultural enterprise. This arbitrary decision is emblematic of this Governments complete neglect for the interests of rural communities in favour of bureaucratic control.
18.01.2022 Lot of merit in this post. Premiers are luxuriating in their newfound notoriety, self importance, daily press conferences and above all, power. But where would they all be without the Federal taxpayer bank propping up their State citizens? Maybe these petit PMs would not be so gung ho if they had to fund all the subsidisation of groups and individuals. And maybe, opening borders should be a pre-requisite for continued Fed largesse. After all, were all Australians and arent we all in this together??
17.01.2022 The roadmap for reopening regional Victoria will be devastating for countless communities that are predominantly unaffected by the virus. The one-size-fits-all approach adopted by the city-centric Labor Government continues to debilitate country Victoria. It is completely absurd that we could end up in a situation where pubs and restaurants cant open in Horsham because of a cluster 450km away in Sale, or vice versa.... We cannot forget that Victoria is the victim of this roadmap to nowhere because Andy Meddick, Fiona Patten and Samantha Ratnam signed away our future by voting for the State of Emergency extension.
17.01.2022 I just hope the rest of Australia is not contributing to any form of Federal COVID subsidies to WA. If the Labor Government want to operate as a self proclaimed fiefdom for clearly crass political State election campaign purposes thereby stopping the free movement of other Australians and interstate trade; then they should stand on their own isolationist feet and receive no support from the rest of Australia. The day will come in some crisis when they will need support from t...he rest of us and well surely be there for the people but seriously this WA border lockdown until after a State election is just crass partisan politics and should be seen as such. Its about time State Labor Premiers, in particular, acted like Australian statesmen and stood up for all Australians and ceased their discrimination of Australian citizens based on arbitrary lines on a map. Lines that might be important to promote interstate sporting rivalry but this is about all.
16.01.2022 There have been 0 new cases for 20 days in a row in Victoria. The removal of the face mask mandate and many other burdensome restrictions is well overdue. We need to encourage individual responsibility, instead of threatening Victorians with fines.
16.01.2022 My Opinion Piece in the Ballarat Courier yesterday discusses the crippling debt that will triple to $155 billion in just three years, under the Andrews Labor Government.
15.01.2022 Roadsides should be safe places, not 'conservation zones' or 'wildlife corridors'. The Government's abdication of their responsibility to manage vegetation on state roadsides jeopardises the safety of Victorians, due to the significant fire risk. The Government should undertake large scale maintenance, conduct controlled burns and allow droving on Victorian roadsides.
15.01.2022 Very important that the underground solution to new transmission is properly explored. As more and more new transmission lines are needed both State and Federal Governments must work out the best long term solutions to minimise the impacts on the existing land use and values, visual degradation, and community concerns. This state government has put the cart before the horse by rightly encouraging new supply but not first working out how new energy supply will be connected to the grid. The connection link is critical.
14.01.2022 The Labor Governments threat to take away firearm owners licences for breaching their authoritarian restrictions is outrageous. When Labor needs a scapegoat or a sacrificial lamb for their political objectives, they first look towards firearm owners, just as they did in the first wave when they banned the sale of firearms and ammunition to appease inner-city fears of apocalyptic looting. The demonisation of firearm owners perpetuated by the Police Minister is a travesty and needs to stop, so Ive asked her to apologise and clarify that the penalties for gun owners will be the same as for all Victorians.
14.01.2022 Another shocking development. This Government simply refuses to listen to reason or to care about the communities it threatens. (From the article: EPA approves proposal for two sites bidding to hold contaminated West Gate Tunnel soil... Maddingley Brown Coal and Hi-Quality Group in Bulla on Tuesday both had their proposals ticked off by the regulator in major boost for efforts to host the PFAS-contaminated soil at their sites....")... I will raise this immediately in Parliament tomorrow, asking the Minister whether the decision has been made under the new watered-down approval regime she introduced so secretly on June 30th. In fact I hope very much that this is what happened. That is because just today the Opposition gave formal notice of the disallowal motion we intend to put to the Legislative Council at the next sitting of Parliament. If we can persuade cross-bench MPs in the Legislative Council to support us on this, as they have supported Bacchus Marsh before, the Statutory Rule will be revoked and the previous more stringent licensing regime will be restored. This would present a major headache to the project, and I will keep you updated with my suggestions as to how we do it!
13.01.2022 I was pleased to speak in Parliament in support of the terrific Serendip Sanctuary, Lara, the future of which is threatened by a Parks Victoria masterplan which would destroy its essential character. See their great work at Save Serendip Sanctuary My media release: https://mailchi.mp/parliament/a-sanctuary-worth-fighting-for
12.01.2022 It was a pleasure to host another intriguing Zoom last night alongside experts on Labors new laws to allow plaintiff lawyers huge percentages of settlements in class actions. In the last parliamentary sitting for a few months before locking down for the pandemic, Labors priority was passing legislation to fill the pockets of their mates and biggest donors.
10.01.2022 It's time for all restrictions in Victoria to be lifted, with 0 active cases in over a month. Unlike the Andrews Government, Victorians have done the right thing. We have locked up, locked down, masked up and wiped out this virus by sheer stamina and fear of fines.... Victorians should be given back their freedoms.
10.01.2022 Police Minister Lisa Neville has continued to evade questioning over the $25 million expenditure on 600 rifles for Victoria Police. It has been 83 days since I raised the matter in the chamber, to which she is required to respond within 30 days. Her answers to questions on notice which I tabled on August 4 are also now overdue.... I am deeply concerned about a potential misuse of public funds by the Minister given that she clearly has something to hide. The avoidance of transparency obviously indicates that the numbers wont stack up and that shes trying to spare herself the embarrassment and possibly even self-incrimination.
09.01.2022 While it is an uncomfortable discussion, and may even be dismissed as inconsiderate, it is integral to understand what pre-existing conditions a patient may have been afflicted with prior to contracting the virus. It is not sufficient to be told by the Premier that this young person or that aged-care resident died of the virus without knowing that there were other issues present that caused the patient to be especially vulnerable. People of all ages can be healthy or unhealt...hy. The Government should release data on comorbidity for Victorian deaths with COVID-19.
09.01.2022 Another hugely enjoyable Western Victoria Matters Zoom Meeting last night, this time on the subject of doing business in the time of COVID and what the State and Federal Governments can do to reduce regulation, improve industrial relations and boost growth. Expert Moderator Kristy McSweeney from the PR Counsel guided a hugely informed and entertaining discussion with Australian Chamber of Commerce Deputy Director Tamsin Lawrence, and CEO of the Restaurant and Catering Assosiciation of Australia, Wes Lambert. Thank you to all panellists, and all participants - the constant flow of questions made for a very lively debate!
09.01.2022 Where are Geelongs local Labor MPs? Viva Energy, a Geelong refinery which supplies 50% of the states fuel and employs 700 workers, is set to close under Labors disastrous roadmap - and Mr Eren, Ms Couzens, Ms Neville and Mr Cheeseman are nowhere to be seen. They should be ashamed of themselves for failing to stand up for Geelongs interests against this dictatorial premier.... In the Geelong Advertiser today
09.01.2022 There is no alternative to having an operative fire lookout tower in critical locations. For any government bureaucrat to say otherwise, is a nonsense. Volunteers built and erected this tower over forty years ago and they have manned it ever since. Think of the savings to government in lives and dollars that has entailed. The least this government can do is replace it with a safe, fit for purpose new tower. To condemn it on the eve of what will be an horrific fire season, is pure madness. But we all know this government hates CFA volunteers and cares naught for those who reside ‘outside the tram tracks’.
08.01.2022 Australians will rightly be concerned they may have been targeted for mass surveillance by a Chinese Communist Party linked enterprise
08.01.2022 **Tomorrow** The Western Victoria Transmission Network Project has potentially huge consequences for swathes of Western Victoria, from Melton across to Ararat. It is absolutely essential landowners and residents make those responsible aware of the implications. I have convened an independent forum to do just that, and will do all I can to ensure questions can be asked and answered in full. Im delighted to be joined by Senator Sarah Henderson, Senator for Victoria, Rya...n Smith MP, Shadow Energy Minister, and Richard Riordan MP - Member for Polwarth, and Shadow Asst Minister for Agriculture, and Regional Victoria. Please register for the chance to put questions to AEMO, the AusNet project team and Energy Safe Victoria representatives. Email - [email protected]
08.01.2022 It was devastating to see the extension to State of Emergency powers legislation pass the Upper House last night, with the help of the Greens, Animal Justice Party and Reason Party. They ought to join the Labor Party to be transparent about their voting record of being nothing more than a number for the Government. The Greens no longer have a leg to stand on in regard to any of the supposed human rights issues over which they obsess. You cannot oppose mandatory offshore deten...tion when you support the indefinite mandatory detention of Victorians. The Labor Government should never have open slather to use these extraordinary powers even when the threat is negligible or non-existent, especially without consistent and regular parliamentary scrutiny.
08.01.2022 EVENT TONIGHT - Please email me at [email protected] to get involved!
07.01.2022 https://www.linkedin.com//victorian-lockdown-therapists-op An important, informed and nicely written contribution which notes the totalitarian overtones of the Victorian Government response, as well as its total failure to measure, discuss or apparently even consider the negative consequences of lockdown. However strong the motivation for action, a decision can never be evidence based or rational unless it considers to the fullest extent possible the direct and indirect con...sequences of the action it dictates. It is clear to me that Daniel Andrews decisions fail this test.
07.01.2022 There was a great turnout for the public Zoom meeting I hosted last night for concerned community members to question AusNet, AEMO, and Energy Safe Victoria. Yet again I was deeply impressed by the depth of feeling this proposal has provoked. It is frustrating to be in opposition in Victoria, but my colleagues Senator Sarah Henderson, Ryan Smith MP, Richard Riordan MP - Member for Polwarthand I will do everything we can to challenge the project at every stage to ensure the best possible outcome for residents and landowners.
07.01.2022 Maddingley Brown Coal should definitely not be in the running to receive toxic soil from the Westgate tunnel project. I have been all around this site - it is a disgrace and it is at the back door of Bacchus Marsh Grammar, on top of the Parwan Creek, beside houses, next door to prime horticultural production and virtually in the middle of the town of Bacchus Marsh itself. If this Govt dares to start dumping toxic waste in this site, whose owners are already subject to breaches of EPA regulations, then the two Labor members for Melton and Buninyong, Steve McGhie & Michaela Settle should immediately resign. They have made no effort to stand up for their constituents and have even attempted to justify potential dumping of the soil. Just not good
07.01.2022 Im supporting the Give Dan the Boot: Protest from Home this Sunday. Leave a pair of boots on your fence, mailbox or at your gate, to show that Victorians have had enough of this dishonest, arrogant and inept Premier. Daniel Andrews has decimated this state and its time to #GiveDanTheBoot.
07.01.2022 Next week's state budget should include funding for high-speed rail and other enabling infrastructure for regional Victoria, rather than every dollar being spent inside the tram tracks or within a few kilometre radius of the Melbourne CBD. We need to enhance the productive capacity of our agricultural, industrial and tourist enterprises in Western Victoria, to salvage our state's economy from the ruin caused by Labor's inability to manage hotel quarantine and a viable testing, tracing and isolation system. The end result being second wave draconian lockdowns and threatening fines.
06.01.2022 After 90 days (60 days late), I finally received a response from Minister Neville to my request of a cost-breakdown for the $25m expenditure on new rifles for Victoria Police. Interestingly, she concedes that only 300 rifles will be purchased with the $25m, despite the original press release announcing that 600 would be purchased (the website link to that announcement is now broken: www.premier.vic.gov.au/new-police-firepower-to-target-majo/). Each rifle equates to approxima...tely $3908, prior to the purchase of any ancillary equipment. Im no firearm expert but this sounds far more exorbitant than estimates that I had heard for these rifles. If you know a thing or two, comment below about whether this is a reasonable price. Most revealing however, is that of the $25 million announcement to purchase the new firearms, nearly $24m will be spent on training and parts replacements. This is extraordinary, particularly given that shes conceded that only 700 officers will be trained to use them, equating to roughly $34,000 per officer for training and parts. Lisa Neville absolutely needs to explain who is providing the training, what process was used to choose the training provider and why so much money is being reserved for the training, rather than being spent on firearms as the announcement suggested. Im looking forward to receiving answers to my questions on notice hopefully more promptly this time for a more detailed breakdown of the costs, including the model of firearm and what organisation-wide awareness training entails.
06.01.2022 When my colleague Richard Riordan MP - Member for Polwarth asked Lisa Neville about the vital Mt Gellibrand fire tower going unmanned this fire season because the Government sat on an engineer's report for 3 years and did nothing about it, the Minister said that "we have a substantial system with drones". The Labor Government is completely out of touch with rural communities. Drones cannot fly around 24/7 and are no match for local knowedge and eyes in this fire tower which provides crucial early fire detection and resource coordination.
06.01.2022 Victorian families deserve a normal not 'COVID normal' Christmas this year. This Government's mandates have kept families separated for months on end. The restriction on a maximum of 10 people in home must be removed.
05.01.2022 It was a great pleasure last night to host another of my Western Victoria Matters Zoom Conversations series, on the Crisis of Federalism in this time of COVID. It was terrific to be joined by a record crowd, who heard and questioned Malcolm Stewart of the Rule of Law Institute of Australia and Richard Riordan MP - Deputy Chair of Parliaments PAEC COVID Inquiry, in an entertaining debate expertly moderated by IPA Director of Policy Gideon Rozner.
05.01.2022 Once again, the Labor Government is outrageously going after law-abiding firearm owners. A recent email to the firearms industry by LRD of Victoria Police, announced that if gun owners breach the draconian COVID-19 restrictions, your licence can be suspended, cancelled or may be subject to a reprimand which could harm any future licensing. The penalties for breaching restrictions should be equal for all Victorians, not tougher on some and weaker on others.... Does the Government plan on taking away boating, plumbing and liquor licences as well, or wont that win any votes inside the tram tracks, while a tough approach on gun owners might? Ill be raising it with Minister Neville (who still hasnt answered my previous questions) in Parliament this week.
05.01.2022 Todays active case map: There are two active cases west of Colac in Western Victoria, yet under the Labor Governments one-size-fits-all approach, the other 17 LGAs with no active cases remain locked up. It isnt good enough to be simply moved into Second Step restrictions, which has virtually no substantial changes for many businesses and peoples lives.... We desperately need to unlock regional Victoria.
04.01.2022 It was a pleasure to be appear briefly on WIN News last week to call for the relaxation of restrictions in rural and regional Victoria. Some country towns dont have an active case within 200km but are subjected to the same restrictions, regardless of where you are in the state. Its good to see regional Victoria move to the second step of relaxed restrictions yesterday, but it needs to urgently move beyond that so lives can return to normal and businesses can properly reopen.
04.01.2022 We need greater transparency around deaths to COVID-19 in Victoria, particularly in relation to comorbidity, if were counting every death with the virus as from the virus. Yesterday the CDC revealed that for just 6% of COVID-19 deaths in the United States, the virus was the only cause mentioned. Victorians need clarity and facts, not fearmongering.
02.01.2022 Another astonishing indictment of the Andrews Governments failure to get on top of COVID. Some things truly are luck, but what weve seen is appalling management, with tragic consequences for Victorians.
01.01.2022 In Parliament this week, I had the privilege of honouring the life of former Field & Game Australia CEO Rod Drew, who I understand was a universally-loved and extremely dedicated representative of the firearms industry. Nowadays, the firearms industry needs as many fighters as it can get, to push back against the illiberal opponents of small businesses, recreational activity and the country way of life. Vale Rod Drew.
