The Wimmera's newest politician has pledged to advocate for ongoing funding to improve health and communication.
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During her maiden speech in Canberra on Thursday, Federal Member for Mallee Anne Webster said despite the electorate's resilience "opportunity does not exist for all".
"I have had phone conversations with people who must stand on a chair, climb up a hill, or hang off a silo in order to have any signal," Dr Webster said.
"Community is built on communication. If you don't have it, the result is entrenched isolation. Nobody thrives in isolation. I will be advocating for ongoing funding to improve connectivity for all in Mallee."
Dr Webster said she would push for more education funding as a means to improving healthcare access.
"The role of nurse practitioner could be expanded to service aged care and palliative care, and increase reach into remote communities. I am advocating for additional funding in our tertiary education system to support more local nurses to upskill to practitioner level for this reason," she said.
"Structural change is also needed, including broadening Medicare activity funding to increase nurse and allied health services to manage chronic disease. Our regional towns are in desperate need of these changes.
Dr Webster was declared Member for Mallee on June 15 - a full 28 days after the Federal Election. She stood for the National Party alongside 12 candidates.
It marked the first time the seat of Mallee was not won outright by the Nationals, and followed the controversial resignation of former MP Andrew Broad following a scandal where it was revealed he had dinner in Hong Kong with a woman who wasn't his wife.
Dr Webster said she got into politics to "make the world a better place" and chose the Nationals because her values aligned with the party's.
Dr Webster also paid tribute to her family, who were in the gallery for the speech, and to her father Paul Smithers, who she said had battled cancer for the past two years and was about to enter palliative care.
"My aim is to provide reason for the people of Mallee to respect and trust politics and politicians again," she said.
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Alexander Darling
Alexander has been a member of the Wimmera Mail-Times' editorial team since December 2018, covering politics, business and property among other rounds. He is a passionate St.Kilda and rock and roll fan, and has previously worked as a radio reporter in Port Macquarie and Gosford, NSW.
Alexander has been a member of the Wimmera Mail-Times' editorial team since December 2018, covering politics, business and property among other rounds. He is a passionate St.Kilda and rock and roll fan, and has previously worked as a radio reporter in Port Macquarie and Gosford, NSW.
