Matt Smith (Leichhardt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I will take that interjection. Could you please return to your seat, Member for Riverina, and we can continue the conversation, or we'll have a chat later. I do agree, though: we all love the regions. We wouldn't be here if we didn't. We work hard in our communities. We've gained their trust, and now we're looking to move forward with that. Yet I hear from those opposite that perhaps they believe that the regions have been neglected, when the simple fact is that the former shadow treasurer had not visited the Far North since 2019 prior to the last election. I've got to say, a fair bit changed in Cairns between 2019 and 2024. A lot changed in terms of the way our economy worked. A lot changed in the way our health system had to work. But we weren't visited. No-one came to listen. No-one cared. I hear a lot about telecommunications, yet 97 per cent of my electorate remains without any form of mobile coverage at all. That is not new. It's always been that way. But, with the low-orbit satellites proposed by this Labor government, we will bring education, safety and better health care to all of Leichhardt. And we'll bring it not just to the urban areas but to the actual regions, the places where people are getting it done. They're growing their bananas and raising their beef in places that I don't think a lot of people over the other side have ever heard of, or cared about—or pronounced!

I've got the Minister for Skills and Training here. He shows great interest in the regions. He travels with me to places where most Australians will never set foot. He sits with the elders. He opens new TAFEs, providing opportunity for the people of the Torres Strait to learn valuable healthcare and early-childcare skills which will get them through in their careers and keep them on country, looking after the bubs, looking after the elders and growing the resilience of my communities. We're also adding our child care to remote areas, including Horn Island and Napranum, allowing young mothers—primarily mothers—to get back into the workforce. That's caring for the regions. That's understanding what the regions need. That's delivering for the regions.

I'm proud to be part of this government. I'm proud to represent an area that you can fit most European countries into. I'm proud of the 12- to 14-hour drives on dirt roads with creek crossings. I'm proud to be trying to make a difference for my area, and I'm proud to be part of a government where I can call up ministers and say, 'Hey, this is happening in Aurukun today,' and get a response. When I need a Medicare urgent care clinic, I can speak to Minister Butler—and we're getting one. When we ask about getting more money to GPs, $8.5 billion arrives—the largest investment in the history of Medicare, delivering health care right across my electorate. As of today, an additional 22 GPs in Leichhardt are bulk-billing. That is a fantastic outcome, a great outcome.

We're investing in regional airports because we know regional airlines are the lifeblood of my rural and remote communities, who are often cut off for months at a time by the wet season. If the airport goes down, people go hungry—so we've invested in that. We're investing in the road up to Port Douglas and the road up to Kuranda. There is additional floodproofing and drainage, so that when an event like Cyclone Jasper happens again—and it will happen again; climate change is upon us—we can avoid most of the damage and keep those roads open. The township of Port Douglas has suffered greatly from the closure of those roads. We are building back better to ensure that small businesses and tourism operators get their fair share of the tourism dollar that comes in to the Far North.

We are delivering for the regions. We do not ignore the regions. During the campaign, ministers came through Leichhardt all the time. They heard from elders and from community leaders. They visited TAFEs and schools. They understand what rural and regional Australia needs.

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