Tony Pasin (Barker, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak on a matter of critical importance to my electorate and, indeed, to the future economic prosperity of the Murray-Darling Basin communities within it. The Australian government, through the process of negotiating the Murray-Darling Basin Agreement, committed $25 million for an economic diversification program in order to assist South Australian regional communities to adjust to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. Funding could only be delivered once each relevant state government had signed a project agreement confirming their commitment to the program. Disappointingly, the South Australian state government is the only jurisdiction which has failed to constructively negotiate a project agreement accepting its share of federal funding. In fact, other states have already delivered their allocation on projects on the ground. The Australian government have now written to Minister Brock on three separate occasions seeking the South Australian government's commitment to this important program; but we are yet to receive a response despite it being nine months from the date of the first letter.

What makes this even more remarkable is there is no requirement for any matching funding from the state government; this is completely Australian federal government money. Regional communities are missing out because of Mr Brock and state Labor. Minister Brock has sold out regional communities in order to remain in lockstep with his Labor cabinet colleagues. This is just one example of his failure on the integrity front. South Australia is missing out on vital funds—$25 million, no less. The supposedly independent Minister Brock has become a wholly owned subsidiary of the South Australian state Labor Party. He is effectively the marionette to puppet-master Weatherill.

I know from my conversations with the local government, regional development associations and local communities in my electorate that the level of frustration in the community is clearly palpable. This comes, of course, on top of explosive revelations in today's Advertiser that the anti-federal government campaign being waged by Weatherill's government—aided and abetted, of course, by Liberal traitor Martin Hamilton-Smith and Geoff Brock, 'minister for regional photo opportunities'; and funded by the South Australian taxpayer—is a complete sham.

These revelations prove that, just like the Murray-Darling diversification fund, the South Australian government are more interested in playing politics and distracting the South Australian community from their own failures, for they are clearly evident.

The Australian government remain committed to this vital program to ensure that we create new local jobs and grow South Australia's regional economy. I call on state Labor, through Premier Weatherill and the 'minister for regional photo opportunities', Geoff Brock, to submit their list of projects immediately so we can get on with the job of sustaining South Australian economic development. Effectively, Minister Brock needs to decide whether he is a minister for regional development for all South Australians or simply Weatherill's 'tourist-in-chief'. (Time expired)