Simon Crean (Hotham, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Hansard source

I was making a point about the rare earths industry, the port development, the fertiliser and nitrate plants. This is hundreds of jobs and billions worth of investment taking place. In fact, it is very interesting that today in the Whyalla Times we have 'Population on the rise in Whyalla'. Some ghost town, some wipe-out—and this is what the gloom and doom that the Leader of the Opposition preaches is all about! I would suggest that he stops the fear campaign, that he understands there is a responsibility on all of us in this chamber to face the challenges that this nation faces, but to do it constructively, do it with a spirit of enterprise, do it with a spirit of conviction and do it with a spirit of purpose and opportunity, not the fear campaign.

The Leader of the Opposition is a hollow man. The Leader of the Opposition stands for nothing. He opposes everything. What regional development wants is a positive constructive approach. They will get it from us, but they will not get from you.

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