Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Indi, and I note her passion for making sure that we look after regional areas. That's the same passion that's shared by my colleagues in the Nationals, as I'm certain it is by many colleagues in the regional Liberals. Of course we are always mindful of making sure that we reach into Nationals seats, Independent seats, regional Liberal seats and, dare I say, regional Labor seats to look after these people, because they're part of our nation. Whether that's in the form of investment in energy projects, investment in medical issues, investment in education and investment in infrastructure that drives those economies forward, you've talked about investments that take the standard of living ahead. That's why the biggest investment project in this nation is the Inland Rail, which is taking the lives of people ahead.

I also note how in your question you talked about a number. There is no number that we have in any pact. I want to dispel this notion that there's some magical number running around. There is not. As you know, Member for Indi—we've both been here for a little while—'just because you read it, doesn't mean they said it'. If you hear them say it, they said it; if you see them say it, they said it. But, by gosh, all of us in this place have had the experience of reading things which later on turn out to be complete and utter tripe.

We will continue to make sure that—mindful of all issues, not just this issue—our process of being in government is to serve the people of regional Australia; to make sure we make the lives of people in regional Australia better; to create opportunities so that not only they but their children and grandchildren can have jobs in regional Australia. Our job is to make sure we stand behind the industries and the wealth of regional Australia. As the member for Indi knows, it is the terms of trade generated by regional Australia, the people who put the product on the boat, that give wealth to our currency and terms to our currency, because so much of our lives is determined by what we take off a boat coming in the other direction. It's the people who put product on the boat—the iron ore miners, the coalminers.

The gas, the cattle, the live cattle, the sheep, the live sheep, the cotton, the grain—all these products come from regional Australia. If we don't protect regional Australia, we don't protect our nation. And if we don't protect the strength of our currency, provide a reason for other people to demand our products so as to give wealth to our currency, we will become a poorer nation.

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