Latest news with #Ruston
West Australian
18-05-2025
- Politics
- West Australian
Abortion a matter for states, territories: Liberal senator Anne Ruston
A senior Liberal senator has not confirmed if the Coalition's position on abortion could change, as the opposition rethinks its national platform in the wake of its election decimation. Labor's landslide win on May 3 left the Liberals leaderless and exposed severe tensions within the Coalition, with the Nationals faring far better than their blue colleagues and therefore demanding more power. The Liberal and National party leaders have been hashing out a Coalition agreement, which includes a review of policies. Anne Ruston — who was opposition health spokeswoman under Peter Dutton — on Sunday kept tight-lipped about whether abortion was up for debate after a push from some in her party. 'As far as I'm concerned, the issue of abortion is something that's well and truly in the domain of the states and territories and should stay there,' Senator Ruston told the ABC. 'But my understanding is that there is no proposal to make any changes in relation to the small amount of responsibility that the federal parliament has for this.' Nationals senator Matt Canavan and Liberals senator Alex Antic co-sponsored a bill last year that aimed to force doctors to save a child born alive after an abortion. A parliamentary inquiry found no basis for the bill and Mr Dutton had ordered the Coalition senators to withdraw it — an order they refused. The bill would be an unprecedented use of federal powers on the issue. Abortion access is legal in all states and territories, but it is not federally or constitutionally protected. Senior Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie has described abortion as a 'moral dilemma', while Jacinta Nampijinpa Price — whose shock defection to the Liberal party room added greatly to the Coalition's internal tensions — tried to put abortion on the national agenda after a vote to wind back access narrowly failed in South Australia last year. It also popped up in the Queensland state election. Senator Ruston played down commentary the Liberal Party has shifted too far to the right, saying her party was a 'broad church'. 'That's where we work best, when we're tolerant of the broad range of views that we have, but our values are all the same,' she said. 'I don't think anybody in my party doesn't believe that aspiration is the most important thing we should strive to be able to enable every Australian to be able to achieve.' Senator Ruston added she was 'very happy to be re-elected and looking forward to being part of the broader team nationally to rebuild our party in the interests of a party that reflects modern Australia'.
Perth Now
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
Liberal's big call on ‘domain' of abortion
A senior Liberal senator has not confirmed if the Coalition's position on abortion could change, as the opposition rethinks its national platform in the wake of its election decimation. Labor's landslide win on May 3 left the Liberals leaderless and exposed severe tensions within the Coalition, with the Nationals faring far better than their blue colleagues and therefore demanding more power. The Liberal and National party leaders have been hashing out a Coalition agreement, which includes a review of policies. Anne Ruston — who was opposition health spokeswoman under Peter Dutton — on Sunday kept tight-lipped about whether abortion was up for debate after a push from some in her party. Liberal senator Anne Ruston has not confirmed if the Coalition's position on abortion access is up for debate. NewsWire / Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia 'As far as I'm concerned, the issue of abortion is something that's well and truly in the domain of the states and territories and should stay there,' Senator Ruston told the ABC. 'But my understanding is that there is no proposal to make any changes in relation to the small amount of responsibility that the federal parliament has for this.' Nationals senator Matt Canavan and Liberals senator Alex Antic co-sponsored a bill last year that aimed to force doctors to save a child born alive after an abortion. A parliamentary inquiry found no basis for the bill and Mr Dutton had ordered the Coalition senators to withdraw it — an order they refused. The bill would be an unprecedented use of federal powers on the issue. Abortion access is legal in all states and territories, but it is not federally or constitutionally protected. Ousted opposition leader Peter Dutton ordered Coalition senators to withdraw an abortion Bill. NewsWire / Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia Senior Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie has described abortion as a 'moral dilemma', while Jacinta Nampijinpa Price — whose shock defection to the Liberal party room added greatly to the Coalition's internal tensions — tried to put abortion on the national agenda after a vote to wind back access narrowly failed in South Australia last year. It also popped up in the Queensland state election. Senator Ruston played down commentary the Liberal Party has shifted too far to the right, saying her party was a 'broad church'. 'That's where we work best, when we're tolerant of the broad range of views that we have, but our values are all the same,' she said. 'I don't think anybody in my party doesn't believe that aspiration is the most important thing we should strive to be able to enable every Australian to be able to achieve.' Senator Ruston added she was 'very happy to be re-elected and looking forward to being part of the broader team nationally to rebuild our party in the interests of a party that reflects modern Australia'.
West Australian
18-05-2025
- Politics
- West Australian
Liberal Senator Anne Ruston turns to AI in a bid to understand the crushing election defeat
Liberal Senator Anne Ruston says 'all options' must be on the table in reviewing the Coalition's 'disastrous' 2025 election loss and has even turned to artificial intelligence in a bid to understand the crushing defeat. The party's defeat marked its worst showing in decades, suffering significant losses across urban and outer-suburban seats, particularly among women and younger voters. Senator Ruston said in the days after the election she tapped into an 'off-the-shelf' AI tool as part of efforts to understand voter sentiment and analyse commentary. 'I just used some, you know, off-the-shelf AI, just to ask what AI thought about the Liberal Party and the election result. There was no clear theme that came out of it,' she told ABC on Sunday. 'It basically said that the product offering that we took to the Australian public, where quite clearly, Australians did not support and we need to go back to the drawing board. 'More than anything, it showed me that there were so many different issues that Australians were considering when they went to the ballot box to vote.' While traditional review processes are underway — involving consultations with party members and MPs — Senator Ruston said technology should play a supporting role in analysing what went wrong. 'There's many ways that we need to address this. We need to speak to our party members. We need to speak to the front bench and the back bench,' Senator Ruston said. 'We need to speak to the Australian public. But obviously, technology gives us an opportunity to be able to collate the broader commentary across Australia. 'That's something that we probably haven't had access to before, and we should use that as well. Every tool that's available, should be used.' Senator Ruston also backed new leader Sussan Ley, with Ted O'Brien elected deputy, to modernise the party and predicted being 'extraordinarily fair' would be a hallmark of her leadership. 'Sussan has made it very clear that she's going to be ultra consultative in her process,' she said. 'I think Sussan Ley is absolutely right in saying she's not going to pre-judge, she's not going to make any captain's calls. She's got to look at absolutely everything. 'To be quite frank, we have to build from the bottom up again, because that election result was quite disastrous for the Liberal Party. We need to be open and honest with ourselves about what we need to take forward.'
American Press
30-04-2025
- Sport
- American Press
Bucs second in regional, Purgahn ties for third place
Barbe's Cassidy Scroggins shot an 82 on Tuesday at the Division I, Region 1 golf tournament at Mallard Golf Club. (Rodrick Anderson / American Press) The Barbe High girls golf team didn't get the regional title they wanted, but they kept their hopes for a state championship alive after placing second at the Division I, Region I tournament on Tuesday at Mallard Cove Golf Club. 'I think they will play better next week because they know what is on the line now,' Barbe coach Bob Corley said. Blustery conditions led to no under-par rounds. Barbe finished with a 160, eight shots behind regional champion and defending state champion Benton. Corley said his players did well against the windy conditions. 'This course usually plays pretty tough because the wind blows so much,' he said. 'They play on it some, but not a ton. 'If you get yourself in bad positions, your score can go up really quick. They didn't have any real big blowups. Couple of them had some doubles, but they held it together. They can play better. They just wanted a chance to play next week.' Mattie Purgahn led the Bucs with a 78 to finish tied for third with Ruston's Kate Boersma. After bogies on Nos. 10 and 12, Purgahn finished her round with six consecutive pars. Maggie Dressler and Cassidy Scroggins finished tied for fifth place with Tioga's Morgan Goudeau at 82. Benton had the top two medalists in Abigail McWilliams, who had the low round of the day at 2-over 74, and Grace Goodwin (77). The state tournament tees off Monday and Tuesday at Les Vieux Chenes in Lafayette. Sam Houston's Emmi Marceaux and South Beauregard's Brielle Grant qualified for the state tournament as individuals. Grant shot a 91, while Marceaux finished with a 92. Division II, Region I Southwest Louisiana had a one-two finish at Frenchman's Bend in Sterlington. Westlake won its second consecutive regional team title and beat runner-up St. Louis Catholic 172-180. St. Louis' Reese Crooks edged Westlake's Ali Evans for individual medalist honors by one stroke with a 9-over-par 81. Boys At Links on the Bayou in Alexandria on Monday, Sam Houston's Collin Dibbley qualified for state by winning a playoff for the final individual spot in the Division I, Region I tournament. He shot a 1-under 71. Girls Division I, Region 1 At Mallard Golf Club Team scoring 1, Benton, 152; 2, Barbe, 160; 3, Southside, 168; 4, Ruston, 176; 5, Tioga, 178; 6, South Beauregard, 193; 7, St. Thomas More, 197; , C.E. Byrd, 198; 9, Haughton, 221; 10, Airline, 234; 11, Natchitoches Central, 236; 12, Teurlings Catholic, 237; 13, Pineville, 247; 14, Acadiana Renaissance, 254. Top 15 individual 1, Abigail McWilliams, Benton, 74; 2, Grace Goodwin, Benton, 77; 3, Mattie Purgahn, Barbe, 78; 3, Kate Boersma, Ruston, 78; 5, Maggie Dressler, Barbe, 82; 5, Cassidy Scroggins, Barbe, 82; 5, Morgan Goudeau, Tioga, 82; 8, Rhyan Marcellissen, Southside, 84; 8, Caroline Endsley, Southside, 84; 10, Brielle Grant, 91; 11, Tymber Joubert, St. Thomas More, 92; 11, Emmi Marceaux, Sam Houston, 92; 13, Laila Badger, David Thibodaux, 93, 14, Grace Cooper, C.E. Byrd, 94; 15, Maci Sanders, Tioga, 96. Division II, Region 1 at Frenchman's Bend GC in Sterlington Team scoring 1, Westlake, 172; 2, St. Louis Catholic, 180; 3, Loyola Prep, 181; 4, St. Mary's, 191; 5, St. Frederick, 203; 6, Many, 212; 7, Elton, 215; 8, Anacoco, 236; 9, Calvary Baptist, 238; 10, Basile, 239; 11, Glenbrook, 247; 12, Hicks, 258; 13, Castor, 266. Individual leaders 1, Reese Crooks, St. Louis Catholic, 81; 2, Ali Evans, Westlake, 82; 3, Kathryn Jackson, Loyola Prep, 86; 4, Isabel Taylor, Beau Chene, 87; 5t, Audrey Perry, St. Frederick, 90; 5t, Emma Penfield, Many, 90; 5t, Elle Rodriguez, Westlake 91; 8, Lily Osbon, Evangel, 91; 9, Charlotte Campbell, Loyola Prep, 95; 9, Lacey Boyd, St. Mary's, 95; 11, Lilly Boyd, St. Mary's, 96; 12, Rowyn Thomas, Lacasssine, 97;13, Alyson Gagliano, St. Louis Catholic, 99.
Sky News AU
28-04-2025
- Health
- Sky News AU
Liberal Senator rips into Labor's 'Mediscare' campaign, says Anthony Albanese does not deserve to be Prime Minister following election 'lies'
Shadow health minister Anne Ruston has launched an attack on the Labor Party's "Mediscare" campaign, claiming it's another example of where Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has lied ahead of the election. Labor's Medicare commitment has been one of the party's flagship policies ahead of the 2025 Federal Election, with a green Medicare card used as a key prop for Mr Albanese during the campaign. The Prime Minister has pledged to open an additional 50 urgent care clinics and deliver more bulk billing to Australians as part of a significant investment into the country's health system. During the campaign, Mr Albanese has repeatedly pointed to Opposition Leader Peter Dutton's record as health minister, calling him the "worst health minister in history" and warning a Coalition government will deliver cuts to healthcare. Senator Ruston blasted the Prime Minister's campaign tactics, arguing he did not deserve re-election on the back of "lies". "You've got a Prime Minister here, who's prepared to look down the barrel at people and tell them a lie. I don't think somebody who's prepared to do that deserves to be re-elected as the Prime Minister of this country," she told Sky News' Chris Kenny on Monday. "They haven't just lied about health, they've lied about energy, they have lied about national security. Apparently the Prime Minister was well aware of the Russian request of Indonesia some months ago and he'd stood in front of the camera and lied about it. "If a Prime Minister is prepared to lie about something as important to Australians as their access to healthcare, he's prepared to lie about national security, this guy does not deserve to be the Prime Minister of this country." In addition to the "Mediscare" campaign, other lies Senator Ruston claimed the Prime Minister has made included Mr Albanese saying the Coalition's nuclear plan would cost $600 billion. She also pointed to Mr Albanese's lack of transparency on when the government was informed about Russia's request to use an Indonesian air space, after it emerged Labor was told as early as March. "When has it become acceptable for your Prime Minister to lie to you?" she continued. "The reason that this government is lying to Australians is because their track record in the last three years has been so terrible. I mean if you look at health care as an example, bulk billing rates have plummeted by 11 per cent, out-of-pocket costs... are at the highest they ever have (been), 45 per cent more out of your pocket today than you were three years ago when you go to see the doctor. "I think Australians know the truth. They feel their experience out on the ground. They know what they're feeling when they go to the doctor, no amount of lying by this government changes the experience that Australians are feeling." Despite claiming Labor has been running a scare campaign over the health system, Senator Ruston refused to say whether the Coalition would match Labor's pledge to create 50 additional urgent care clinics. The Senator appeared on Sky News Australia last week where she said the Coalition would not close any existing urgent care clinics, but was unable to provide a definite answer on how many additional centres it could commit to.
