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
Likes: 4382
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24.01.2022 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.
24.01.2022 The EPA's plan to reclassify animal manure as industrial waste is a completely ridiculous idea. This is classic Andrews government over-regulation emanating from inside the tram tracks of Melbourne, with no understanding of how the agriculture sector actually operates. Manure has reportedly been used as a fertiliser on farms since ancient Babylon and probably before, but now, only now, do bureaucrats in Victoria Street seem to see it as a grave danger.
19.01.2022 Congratulations Craig Kelly MP & David Limbrick MP for calling out the treatment of peaceful objectors to the Andrews dictatorial edicts.
18.01.2022 A ratepayer in Stonnington pays just $962 on an $800,000 property, while a ratepayer in Buloke Shire pays nearly $7000. The property taxing system to fund local government is clearly broken, but until a solution is found, we need to prevent further cost shifting from higher tiers of government. I asked the Treasurer in Parliament recently to ensure that none of the coronavirus debt burden is placed upon Western Victorian councils.
17.01.2022 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.
15.01.2022 Honoured to have delivered a dawn service address at the Terang RSL service in 2018. Sadly, due to COVID restrictions and an extra Parliamentary sitting, none of us can leave Parliament House today. The Terang RSL, under the outstanding leadership of President, Steve Bloxham, have developed the Terang facility into a first class place of reverence and history. I thank all RSL Clubs for their commitment to servicemen and in their honouring of those who gave their lives so th...at we may be free. Lest we forget.
15.01.2022 After all the hardship this year, Victorians deserve a normal Christmas. Not a 'COVID-normal' one where families are still seperated by limitations of 10 people inside a home. There are 4 active cases in the entire state, so all restrictions should be eased.
14.01.2022 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.
14.01.2022 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.
13.01.2022 A Mountain To Climb? Parks Victoria's threat to Grampians Climbers: I have long fought against Parks Victoria's ideologically driven obsession with locking up State Parks, driven by their mistaken belief that humans and nature cannot co-exist. The 'Grampians National Park Management Plan' is the latest instance. In its attitudes and recommendations, it is shot through with an anti-climber attitude completely divorced from reality. ... Please see my Media Statement on this, based on my speech in Parliament last week. Do let me know your stories and concerns - I believe co-existence is possible, and that our national parks belong to the people and access should be facilitated wherever possible, not discouraged. https://hansard.parliament.vic.gov.au/
13.01.2022 Warrnambool is dead. RIP Warrnambool. These pictures are of a usually thriving regional city that has been shut down for no justifiable reason. Well done Daniel Andrews - you have shut down business across Victoria. Rural and regional Victoria, which barely ever had a case, is particularly the subject of the Premier’s arrogant contempt. If you must shut down a distinct area within a local government area, do so, but the entire State - no way - it is just total overreach and... megalomania. But in reality no shutdowns should be needed if the Govt did their job properly. This Premier & his Government are clearly determined to kill off business, especially small business. After 12 months they still cannot manage hotel quarantine. They can’t operate an effective contact tracing system. They refuse to learn from the genuine ‘gold standard’ quarantine/tracing system that operates so effectively in NSW. And as a result, all Victorians pay the price; with their lives, livelihoods, mental and physical health and their children’s schooling.
13.01.2022 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’.
12.01.2022 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.
12.01.2022 Businesses in the South-West desperately want workers and certainty. Instead, they're being hindered by erratic lockdowns and border closures by the Andrews Labor Government.
10.01.2022 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.
09.01.2022 One of the worst consequences of the lockdown has been an increase in loneliness across Victoria, particularly amongst the most vulnerable. So I was incredibly impressed to read about ‘Conversation in Isolation’, a grassroots project which matches trained health student volunteers with community members for meaningful social interaction via telephone calls. They reach out to support those in need, whether residents of nursing homes, people living alone, or students in high school and university. The success of this terrific volunteer-led project has now been recognised by AMA Victoria, and I am delighted that their work continues. Please look at their Facebook page for more information, including details on volunteering and referrals.
08.01.2022 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.
08.01.2022 On October 22 last year the Premier told members of the Chinese Communist Party, "You will find the Victorian market accessible." Last week the CCP’s propaganda mouthpiece, the Global Times, confirmed that the communist dictatorship was planning to implement significant tariffs and import suspensions on a series of Australian products. Exports of agricultural products underpin the economic vitality of rural and regional communities in Victoria.... China is punishing our farmers and our rural communities, and Labor thinks that it is appropriate to be a party to a deal that expands their influence in our country. The Belt and Road Initiative must immediately be torn up.
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 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
04.01.2022 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.
02.01.2022 Haymes Paints is a Ballarat icon, a terrific company which for generations has invested in our area and provided livelihoods to countless local families. Ballarat and indeed Victoria are rightly proud to support the only Australian owned paint manufacturer. Their experience is one of the reasons I'm so angry by the total disregard the Andrews Government showed for business - especially regional business - in the last lockdown. The Minister's flippant reply just confirmed my suspicions - they either don't understand, or they just don't care.
