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

I thank the honourable member once again for their question. Throughout the document it talks about the DISER modelling. I imagine that DISER know what they are doing. I suspect they might know more than the honourable member himself. I don't know; maybe he is an expert in linear regression analysis and maybe he can give us a little speech on the Newton-Raphson theory and go through a whole range of his acumen in this area. But I suspect—and I am going way out on a limb here—that DISER knows more than he does. So I'm very encouraged.

Of course we went through it. We diligently went through a full process of making sure that we went into bat for regional Australia. The one thing we were looking for was to make sure there was no legislation like what you're going to bring forward and legislate out the workers in the Hunter Valley and legislate out the workers in Central Queensland and legislate out the jobs from Newcastle and legislate out the towns of Muster Brook and Singleton. It's very important that we—

Honourable members interjecting—

I knew that would get under your skin. I knew that!

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