Cathy McGowan (Indi, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Mr Prime Minister, in recent days we have been talking about previous prime ministers and their legacies. Can you please tell the House about your vision for the regions? How will this play out in practical terms for communities and businesses that are crippled by cross-border issues in areas such as Albury-Wodonga? What would you like your legacy to be for Albury-Wodonga?

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Indi for her question. I want strong and prosperous regions just like I want a strong and prosperous country. The best way to have a strong and prosperous country is to boost our economy by cutting taxes, by reducing regulation and by ensuring that government spending is sustainable rather than out of control. This is the best way we can help our regions.

But I appreciate that, for the member for Indi, representing the people of Wodonga, there are the usual cross-border issues for the Albury-Wodonga conurbation, if you like. This is why we need to try to get the Federation working better than it does right now. That is my plea to all of us. Let us work together to try to ensure that our Federation works better in the future than it has in the recent past. Let us be big enough to have a constructive conversation about this. Let us be big enough to think of our country and not just the next election.

So I say to members opposite, I say to the state premiers, I say to the opposition leaders right around our country: let's all join 'Team Australia' and see if we can do things better in the future than we have in the past. If we can do this, if we can rise to this challenge, I believe the people of Australia for once will be able to feel more proud of their parliament.