Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Hansard source

We heard from the member for Hunter, 'Here a dam, there a dam, everywhere a dam-dam.' I heard that during the election campaign, too, and I heard it for six long, sorry years, when Labor was in government: 'Here a damn, there a damn, everywhere a damn-damn.' But it was a different spelling, Member for Hunter. It had an 'n' on the end of it, because people were damning the Labor government for its lack of policy, its lack of a plan, its lack of vision. And what did we hear from the member for Hunter over 10 long, sorry minutes? We heard no plan, no vision, no alternative views for regional Australia—so typical of the member for Hunter, so negative. He is obsessed with the member for New England, the Deputy Prime Minister; that is all we ever hear about. But he does not have his own plan. He does not have his own policies.

But we do have policies; we do have plans. I am glad that I am going to be followed by—and the member for Hunter acknowledged him—the member for Hinkler, a great member, a great regional Australian getting on with the job of making sure that his Queensland electorate is front and centre of everything that he does and that we do as a coalition government. He will be followed by the member for Grey, the member for Mallee and the member for O'Connor. I was in his electorate the other day. Kalgoorlie is booming, thanks to the great work that the member for O'Connor is doing and will continue to do—nothing that the member for Hunter ever espoused or came up with in his 79 days as the minister for agriculture. What a memorable 79 days they were—not!

I heard somebody earlier today describe Labor, on their regional Australia policies, as 'inner urban spivs'. I think that was you, Mr Deputy Speaker Coulton! It is not a bad description. It is just extraordinary that the Labor Party would come into this place and lecture the government about its so-called failing of rural and regional communities. It is extraordinary that the very people who imposed the live cattle export ban, who traded votes with the Greens in Balmain before they worried about Brewarrina, would come in here and lecture this government about decisions and delivery. Those opposite are all about the bluff. They are all about the bluff.

Mr Husic interjecting—

We hear the member for Chifley. I doubt he would even know what a farmer looks like! But he eats three days a week—

Mr Husic interjecting—

three times a day, and he relies on farmers to be able to do just that. Labor are all about the lectures. They are all about the posturing. They are the knee-jerk reactors to a television program about live cattle exports. That is all they are. There is no plan. There was no consultation when they were in government—none whatsoever.

Yet today those very people come in here and lecture us. Those opposite come into this place and they cry crocodile tears about investments in the regions. They promised the world to regional communities and, as we saw when they were in government, they delivered absolutely diddly squat—certainly when it came to investment in regional mobile black spots. I have heard the member for McEwen yelling and ranting and raving about mobile black spots, but what did his side of politics do when they had the opportunity? They did nothing—not a single mobile tower, absolutely nothing. It took my friend here the minister at the table, the Minister for Urban Infrastructure, and others on this side to make sure that there was a Mobile Black Spot Program for regional Australia. It was this government that committed $100 million through round 1 of the program, which is delivering 499 new and upgraded mobile base stations across Australia. It was this government that committed a further $60 million towards round 2 of the program. That is vision. That is a plan. Make no mistake, in regional Australia this was the issue that was raised with me no matter where I went, whilst they also damned the Labor side. Country people know this is the government that has actually put money into fixing mobile black spots and other issues that are confronting regional Australia.

Another of those is the agricultural competitiveness white paper. It was a great document. It is delivering issues. It is delivering programs. It is issuing good policy for regional Australia. Speaking of agricultural competitiveness, I note that the member for Maribyrnong said this morning:

We've got a big issue when you have got people coming here on 457, 417 visas, these are visas which give people from overseas temporary work rights in Australia yet we've got auto-electricians and mechanics and carpenters who can't get work in Australia. This government should be prioritising Australian jobs. They should be prioritising helping the Hazelwood workers. They shouldn't be playing silly political games.

The member for Maribyrnong is wrong yet again—yes, wrong yet again. First of all, 417 visas are for working holiday makers. Second, Labor wants to give foreign workers on 417 visas a lower tax rate than hardworking Australians.

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