Ken O'Dowd (Flynn, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister. Will the Deputy Prime Minister outline to the House how the Morrison-Joyce government's plan for a strong economic recovery is delivering infrastructure projects and creating jobs in regional Australia, particularly in my home state of Queensland? I'd like to thank the BBRF for the project in the township of—

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

The member will just ask his question. You've missed 90-second statements. The Deputy Prime Minister has the call.

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

Mr Speaker, you're too cruel! I have to acknowledge that the member for Flynn is retiring. He has had a marvellous career here—over a decade—after being a great success in business. One of the most understated people in this building is the member for Flynn. He has written more cheques and done more business than many other people here combined. That's the sort of acumen we want. With his fuel businesses, hotel businesses—I know he's got a great love of the racehorse business. He has stood behind his people. He has stood behind the 845 people of Biggenden, as he just mentioned, with the $5.7 million they got for the Biggenden water treatment plant. If the people of Biggenden had to pay for it per person—man, woman and child—that would be over $6,700 each that they would have to find. Of course they can't find that money, and that's why we have a coalition government—Nationals and Liberals—to make sure the people of Biggenden are looked after.

It's not just there. It could be the Ivy Anderson Home at Springsure. As you know, people want to be born in an area, live in an area, work in an area and spend the rest of their days in that area. In Springsure, with 5,100 people, it was $4 million that the Nationals and Liberals, the coalition government, provided so that people have those nine extra units.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

I know it's hilarious to those opposite, but we find aged care serious. We make sure we provide for that in myriad forms.

In Gladstone, that great industrial city, with everything from coal to beef to grain to sodium cyanide to all the things found in that marvellous industrial city of in excess of 45,000 people that the Member for Flynn has stood beside—he's going to make sure that, after his decade in here, that city continues to grow for the decades into the future.

It's not just in the member for Flynn's seat but also as we go north to Hells Gate. Hells Gate is in the seat of the member for Kennedy, who's not here today. I was speaking to the member for Kennedy today—or, more to the point, he was speaking to me!—and we once more went over Hells Gate and how important that is for the development of our nation. The dam at Hells Gate, as has been rightly pointed out to me by the Prime Minister, has a business case that will arrive back here early next year, and this will be instrumental in not only the wealth of those downstream but in moving water west. That is vision. That's what you get from the Coalition. That's why the Australian people will be re-electing us.