Federal Member for Grey Rowan Ramsey has spent two days on Eyre Peninsula this week with Shadow Ministers meeting a range of industry leaders and bringing regional issues to the fore.
Whilst in Grey, Shadow Immigration Minister Dan Tehan and Shadow Health Minister Anne Ruston met with pharmacists, representatives from the Southern Bluefin Tuna and Sardine industries and shearing contractors.
“We had a very productive meeting with a group of local pharmacists who expressed concerns around Labor’s proposal to introduce 60 day dispensing of prescriptions,” Mr Ramsey said.
“Pharmacists are asking the Australian Government to reconsider the proposal.
“Financial losses to the community pharmacy sector will be significant. It is expected these losses will translate into potential business closures, employment losses and likely reductions in the services provided to consumers.
“The potential income loss for regional pharmacists would make it difficult to cover operating costs.
“If regional pharmacies close it would have huge impacts on country towns.
“Some of my local pharmacists have only recently purchased their business on the strength of previous financial figures and now cannot meet predicted incomes to service loans.
“We need to support this vital sector in our regional communities, we need our pharmacists!”
The shortage of shearers has been another serious issue Mr Ramsey has been raising in the Parliament.
“The ongoing lack of shearers is causing serious problems in Australia’s wool industry,” he said.
“I took Dan Tehan to Andrew and Mark Swaffer’s property near Tumby Bay while he was in Grey, where shearing was in full swing.
“We met with SA’s senior shearing trainer Glenn Haynes and discussed the obstacles facing wool producers, many of whom are shifting from wool to meat because of the difficulties in finding shearers.
“This is of great concern to our wool industry. There are around 2,000 shearers in Australia today compared to 10,000 30 years ago.
“From 1870 Australia has been the world’s leading producer of wool, producing about 345 million kilos of wool every year – this is about one quarter of the world’s wool.
“To lose our position as the world’s finest wool producer would be catastrophic and reduce Australian wool to a cottage industry.”
Mr Ramsey has been working with Australian Wool Industry, the Shearing Contractors’ Association of Australia and Wool Producers Australia to find a solution.
“There are good shearers all over the world,” he said.
“There are many countries that shear sheep and what we need to do, I believe, is open up a special visa class to bring in specialist teams of shearers in the busy times of the year.
“This is what I have been speaking to industry leaders about.
“There are good shearers in France, South Africa, Uruguay and Chile. We need to find a way for them to come to Australia to work.
“I hope to be able to work with the industry to develop policy we can take to the Government.”
Mr Ramsey said the Shadow Ministers had also discussed labour shortages in the fishing industry and shortages of health professionals in the regions.
“It was great to have two very experienced former Ministers in Grey meeting and listening to what issues are facing regional communities.”
Media contact: Leonie Lloyd-Smith 0417827523
Aug 17 2023
