Brian Mitchell (Lyons, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Listening to those opposite, you would not believe that they were actually in government for nine long years. The member for Riverina at the table and the member for New England were deputy prime ministers in the former government—two of the highest offices in the land—and acting Prime Minister for some of it. Those are two of the most powerful positions. If you want a measure of how regional Australia went, where is the data, former Deputy Prime Minister, on health outcomes for regional Australians? Where is the data on education, skills, communications and housing? Where is the data on how you improved life for regional Australians over your nine long years in government? You haven't got it, because regional people's lives did not improve over your nine long years in government.

That's the big difference between us: the way we approach government. Our government is taking a holistic approach. We want to make lives better for everybody, including regional Australians. We want better health outcomes for everybody, including remote, regional and Indigenous Australians. We want better education outcomes, skills outcomes, communications outcomes and housing outcomes. When you look at the deep vein of policy that we have before this place, that becomes evident: a $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund, a stronger Medicare program, university programs, fee-free TAFE programs and regional communications. The list goes on and on.

The member for Gippsland gave a blank piece of paper. That was a sonograph of what's inside his head! Here we have a $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund, $2.2 billion towards regional communications, $2 billion towards a Hydrogen Headstart program, $1.9 billion towards the Powering the Regions Fund, $1 billion over four years for biosecurity, $1 billion over three years for the Growing Regions Program and the Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program, $150 million for the Cairns Marine Precinct Common User Facility, $100 million for common user infrastructure at the port of Newcastle—I'm sure you'd be happy to hear that, Deputy Speaker Claydon—$50 million for a new CQUniversity campus.

Then we've got the more general outcomes, such as the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund. We know how important it is to get housing supply in the regions for regional employment. Those opposite, including National Party members—including the member at the desk, the member for Riverina—are standing in the way of getting housing supply for regional Australians. If you really cared about regional Australians, you'd back the HAFF and you'd tell your senators to back the HAFF.

We have $3.5 billion to triple bulk-billing incentives, helping regional Australians access health care. We have $2.4 billion to extend the full-fibre NBN to 1.5 million premises, including 660,000 premises in the regions. That's after nine years of failure from those opposite to get broadband to the regions. That's the mess you left us with, that $29 billion blowout, after saying you would deliver a cheaper and better NBN. You left regional Australians absolutely in the dark.

We have $589 million towards the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children. It is women and children in the regions who suffer more from domestic violence than those in the cities. I know you know that, Deputy Speaker. There is the regional first home buyer scheme. There are 10,000 new energy apprenticeships, with five out of six new jobs going to the regions. The list goes on and on.

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