Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Shadow Minister for Regional Education) Share this | Hansard source

You'll get your chance soon, but I tell you now: it's a long way from Western Australia to the Murray-Darling Basin, genius.

Let me just talk about one other thing which reflects on this Prime Minister and his distraction from the issues which impact regional people. The issues that regional people are talking about are their jobs, the cost of living, good roads, good schools and health services. They're talking about things that matter in their lives while the Prime Minister is out there wasting more than $400 million on his vanity project, dividing the nation with his failed Voice proposal. It just demonstrates again the poor judgement and just how out of touch the Prime Minister is, and it's a reflection on the distraction and disengagement he has. He spends most of his time overseas, and I just say to the Prime Minister: get back in the country and do your day job, because I tell you now, Prime Minister, that, if you don't start understanding the issues that are impacting regional people and start keeping your promise to govern for all Australians, you need to realise that the Treasurer is very happy to do that job for you.

See this speech in context