Federal Member for Page and Shadow Minister for Trade and Tourism Kevin Hogan joined the Talking Lismore podcast last week to discuss some of the hot topics in Lismore and the Northern Rivers. They included the campaign to reopen Wollumbin/Mt Warning, US tariffs and his thoughts on the three years since the 28 February 2022 big flood.

Mr Hogan wouldn't be drawn into predicting a date for the 2025 Federal Election; however, he did say there is a chance of an early April election if the Prime Minister calls it soon after the W.A. State Election, or in May. We do know that it must happen on or before Saturday, May 17. This is looking the most likely election option.

"Obviously it's a pre-election period. When you go into the campaign proper, there's a whole lot of rules that change around what you can and can't do. We live in a wonderful democracy. I know some people might get sort of like, oh, here we go, but look, there's billions, and I say billions of people on this planet that don't get the freedom to vote in an election and have a choice. At least they might vote in an election, but there's only one choice in some countries. So look, we live in a wonderful democracy, and it's a really important part of our democracy."

To win 19 seats to win government is a tall ask for the Liberal/National Party. Is he optimistic?

"Look, I'm a politician and a part-time farmer, I'm always optimistic. I think, look, it's going to be close, I think it's going to be really close. There's only been one government in the history of Australia, since Federation, so we're 124 years now into our federated system, and only once has a government been one term, and that was the Great Depression. So, it's a big ask to win from opposition in one term, but look, I think it's on. I think it's a real possibility. Labor's primary vote, from what I can see, has gone under 30%, which makes it very difficult for them. They certainly won't be a majority government. If they win, they'll be going into a minority government with The Greens and the Teals. I think that's problematic, if that happens.

"Our primary seems to be going back through 40, and if we start climbing through 40, I think we're a real chance to win."

What about being confident about the seat of Page, which is now considered a safe seat.

"I am never confident, but optimistic. You know, I've been fortunate enough to be re-elected four times by our community, and I never take it for granted, and I'm always very grateful for that. So, I'm putting myself up to go again. And the public in this beautiful democracy have the right to tell you whether you're doing a good job or not."

Last week there were calls for the Wollumbin/Mt Warning walk to be reopened, with local tourism operators and Indigenous elders joining forces to advocate for its accessibility.

Mr Hogan visited the mountain with Bundjalung elder Sturt Boyd, emphasised the importance of reopening the track for cultural and economic reasons. He highlighted the potential of the site to attract and educate tourists about First Nation's culture and the importance of the site and generate millions of dollars for the region, stating that up to 100,000 people could walk the track annually.

"We went up there with Sturt Boyd. Sturt's grandmother, Marlene, was the guardian of that mountain. So, he's an elder. I've seen some very disturbing reports from media outlets saying he's an alleged elder. I've never heard that before, but he didn't suit certain people's narratives. He is an elder. He wants it reopened. The Wollumbin Consulting Group that has been formed, he thinks, is not transparent, is not representative. So he has issues with that," Hogan said.

"They want to ensure the mountain is accessible to everyone, not just a select few."

Mr Hogan acknowledged there are differing viewpoints within the Indigenous community, as well as the broader community. He stressed the importance of respecting those who hold opposing views. He cited the significant public support for reopening the track, noting that over 90% of the 70,000 to 80,000 people reached through his social media platforms expressed their desire for its accessibility.

Mr Hogan intends to advocate for the reopening with the relevant state minister, alongside Sturt Boyd and Kimberly Hone, the Nationals candidate for Richmond.

When it came to the potential US tariffs on our mining industry products, Kevin Hogan expressed concerns and drew parallels to the previous Trump administration's trade policies, noting that Australia was able to secure an exemption from tariffs on certain products during that period.

"We were in government then. We had Ambassador Hockey at the time. It was very important to open doors for us and to get meetings with Trump, and we were able to get an exclusion. So Australia was excluded from the tariffs in Trump, Mark 1," Hogan said.

Mr Hogan emphasised the importance of the government engaging with the US to secure an exemption, as they did previously.

"I am concerned about Rudd's effectiveness. He's made some very derogatory comments about Trump. So is he going to be as effective as Joe Hockey? I don't know, and it's disappointing," Hogan said.

The Member for Page also criticised the handling of the flood mitigation efforts in Lismore, three years after the devastating floods. He described the decision by the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation (NRRC) to withdraw from the floodplain as a "failure," arguing that it has not provided adequate protection for residents.

"Withdrawing from the flood plain has failed because of the 2000 homes that were identified, at best, we're going to have probably 800 or 900 and of those 800 or 900, some you'd know personally, like I do, some of them have sold their house on the flood plain through the buyback program, and bought a house around the corner on the flood plain," Hogan said.

Mr Hogan mentioned the CSIRO's upcoming report on flood mitigation and suggested that engineering solutions are necessary to effectively address the flood risk. He acknowledged the potential controversy surrounding such proposals with a small percentage of the population but emphasised the need to prioritise safety and enable residents to live securely in their homes and for people to invest in the Lismore CBD.

You can listen to the full Talking Lismore podcast via the Lismore App or by clicking here for the website link https://talkinglismore.buzzsprout.com/.