Gai Brodtmann (Canberra, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was in the chamber this morning when the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Mr Joyce, made that bombshell of a statement that he may not be a citizen of Australia, which brought into question whether he was actually the member for New England, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources.

My thoughts actually went to the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority when he made that statement. My thoughts went to the APVMA and the families and staff there who have been victims of the blatant and shameless pork-barrel that this minister has undertaken with the potential relocation of the APVMA. What we found out today was that he may not actually be a minister. My thoughts turn to the fact that 200 families may have to move up to Armidale as part of this blatant and shameless pork-barrelling exercise enforced by a minister who may actually not be a minister. My thoughts turn to the fact that the relocation was based on a cost-benefit analysis that showed that there was no benefit to this relocation and it was all cost—a CBA that was produced by a minister who may not actually be a minister. It is absolutely outrageous what this minister who may actually not be a minister has done to the APVMA, and I call him out for his shameless and blatant pork-barrelling.