Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister. The National Farmers Federation has backed a net zero target for emissions by 2050. Are the regional Australians who want the job opportunities from net zero, including the National Farmers Federation, wrong?

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Grayndler for his question. I note his reference to job opportunities and state that it will always be this side of the House that is absolutely focused on job opportunities and making sure that people maintain their jobs. The sort of place where we'll be really focusing on them maintaining their jobs is the member for Capricornia's seat. We're going to be absolutely focused, laser-like, on the coalminers in the seat of Capricornia keeping their jobs. We're going to have an absolutely laser-like focus that we get Rookwood Weir built. We're going to have a laser-like focus up in the member for Flynn's seat that those miners keep their jobs. We're going to have a laser-like focus on the member for Hunter's seat to make sure those miners keep their jobs. We're going to have a laser-like focus on all the people in the seat of Paterson to make sure they keep their jobs. And, Member for Shortland, we're going to have a laser-like focus to make sure the people in your seat keep their jobs.

We are going to have a laser-like focus to make sure that they keep their jobs and you keep yours. We want him to keep his job. We want him to remain the Leader of the Opposition. We want him to stay there for years and years and years. We want you to get long service leave as the Leader of the Opposition, because, on this side, yes, we care about their jobs. I know it's hard for the member for Grayndler, because you're tied to the aspirations of an inner suburban electorate and Green preferences, and that's a tough game, but it's a—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Prime Minister is just drifting away from the question now, at this point.

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm sorry. I take your instruction, Mr Speaker. But, talking about regional jobs, as the member for Grayndler, the Leader of the Opposition, brought up: yes, on our side of the political fence we focus on regional jobs all the time—like we focused on them in the live cattle trade and like we focused on the regional jobs that were going to be lost when you brought in a carbon tax. And what we notice when we're focusing on regional jobs is that now within the opposition there are two groups. There's one group that are kind of supposed to be in the Labor Party, but they're not really; they wish they weren't. And they're actually the last—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll just say to the Deputy Prime Minister: the question was about government policy, not opposition observations.

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll just close in saying that we're doing a very good job on regional jobs.