Colin Boyce (Flynn, Liberal National Party) | Hansard source

This motion attempts to pat the Labor government on the back with spin. But I wish to use my time to explain how this Labor government's decisions are hurting rural and regional Australia. I do not know how often the member for Lalor speaks to her residents in her electorate, but I've held almost 100 mobile offices this year on the side of the road, in regional shows and in community centres, and not once have I been told that this Labor government is doing a good job.

The member first noted that the Labor government had introduced cheaper child care. Many families in my electorate of Flynn cannot find child care. This is preventing people from returning to work sooner. Our communities need availability and accessibility as well as affordability. There are no childcare vacancies Boyne Island, Gayndah, Mundubbera and Wondai. There are also childcare centres in Agnes Water, Emerald and even Gladstone that do not have any vacancies available. The kindergartens in Mount Morgan and Biloela have announced they will be closing, all because of a lack of funding and bureaucratic red tape. Many families in regional Australia cannot access child care, which begs the question: without educators and without access, how can the Labor policy deliver for families and children, particularly in rural and regional Australia? What's the point of having lower out-of-pocket costs if you can't get your child into a childcare place?

Now to the safeguard mechanism. It has been reported that Rio Tinto has slashed US$1.2 billion from the value of its Australian aluminium assets on the back of the federal government's safeguard mechanism, writing off the value of its Yarwun alumina refinery completely due to the need to buy carbon offsets for this asset and the unavailability of these offsets. Rio has also slashed US$227 million from the value of its shares in QAL. Since Labor's safeguard mechanism was announced, I have called it an attack on heavy industry and the thousands of workers that work in this sector, and it has proven to be exactly that. While Labor claims to be a friend of the working man and woman, it is happy to shut down these industries than employ them. You simply cannot trust the Labor government with your job.

I note another thought that was quite shocking is that the member for Lalor wants to give the Labor government a pat on the back for the reintroduction of registered nurses in aged care 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Earlier this month, Carinity aged care announced the closure of the aged-care facility in my electorate of Flynn, Carinity Summit Cottages in Mount Morgan and one in my neighbouring electorate of Wide Bay in Tiaro. Labor's one-size-fits-all approach in aged care does not work in rural and regional Australia. Analysis shows that an additional four full-time registered nurses and 6.5 full-time personal care workers are required to have a sustainable long-term workforce at Carinity Summit Cottages. Despite ongoing efforts, Carinity has been unable to recruit sufficient staff to fill these vacancies.

The Labor government has failed older Australians by forcing this requirement on providers when they know they cannot meet it, as the aged-care sector deals with the immense stress of trying to fulfil this requirement when the workforce is simply not there. We know the facilities have already had to close and many more are considering this option, forcing older Australians out of their homes. It's extremely worrying that the Albanese government is now forcing aged-care providers to assume the legal risk if they do not have a registered nurse on site 24/7. This is now a requirement by law, and during these difficult conditions it's absolutely appalling.

I could go on all day about Labor's destructive policies—including the 60-day dispensing rule, the 82 per cent Renewable Energy Target by 2030, the truckie tax, cutting additional mental health support and desperate dodgy deals with the Greens—and its broken promises, such as to have urgent care clinics up and running in Rockhampton and Bundaberg by 1 July 2023 or to have 24/7 nurses in every aged-care facility by 1 July 2023.

I urge members opposite to stop patting themselves on the back for something that the Labor government is supposed to have done and it clearly has not, particularly in rural and regional Australia. Get out and speak to these people in rural Australia! They are the people who are hurting. And it's all because of ill-thought-out Labor government policy.

See this speech in context