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

I thank the member for Riverina for his compliment. We almost got through six minutes without him heckling me. The fact is that we now have a large regional presence on this side of the House. We are making our voices heard and we are making a difference for the regions, not just in telecommunications but in roads, in airports and in those things that our communities need—the things that make a difference on a day-to-day basis, the things that allow our health care, our education and our economic development to increase and expand so that we can be the powerhouse that we've so often dreamed of becoming. The part of Australia that people forget is the part of Australia that is carrying us.

I look forward to not being out of reception as I'm driving to Cooktown or to Coen. I look forward to hearing about the kids who are doing distance education on their phones and are able to do it when they go bush, go for a bit of a wander or just go maybe 400 or 500 metres out of town. I look forward to the improved health outcomes. Our health outcomes, particularly in my remote, regional and Indigenous communities, are some of the worst in the world. Telehealth—the ability to have those quick answers on hand with properly trained Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners there to help deliver that, in some cases, life-saving medication or treatment—is going to be really important because you can't always fly in and fly out a doctor. Sometimes you need the answer there and then. This will allow that to happen.

I look forward to the increased economic opportunity and activity. There is so much potential along the PDR to have little bakeries, gift shops, cultural exhibitions and art galleries, but, without that access to telecommunications, there's not much point. This will open up that door too. It opens up the economy of the cape. We desperately need this. It is something that has been on the radar for so, so long.

The member for Riverina spoke of fairness. There's nothing more fair than giving mobile coverage to everybody, which is what this bill tries to do. The 97 per cent of my electorate will thank us. No, there are not a lot of people living there. It is sparse and it is empty, but it is dangerous and it is rugged. When things go wrong, they go wrong in a hurry.

I enjoy my solitude on the road. I enjoy not getting emails for four or five hours as I move between the towns, but I think overall it's better if I do. It's better for the community, it's better for health, it's better for every single one of those kids and it's safer. We're enjoying a renaissance in the Far North. We're enjoying the investment in what we are. We're enjoying the culture. We're enjoying the lifestyle. This is just going to make it so much better for everyone. When you're out shooting a pig, you can take a photo and send it back to the boys. We can compare pigs. That's awesome. You don't have to drag it back. You're better off leaving the carcase there; the other pigs will come and clear it up later.

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