Mark Coulton (Parkes, National Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister. The Morrison-Joyce government has delivered a budget which provides record infrastructure investment to turbocharge the economies of regional Australia. Will the Deputy Prime Minister please outline to the House the importance of growing the nation through critical infrastructure investments that make Australia as strong as possible as quickly as possible? Is the Deputy Prime Minister aware of any alternative policies?

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

I thank the honourable member for his question and also note the response of the Treasurer. It is very important that we understand that this is a budget that is not just for the forward estimates but for decades ahead. It's so important that we understand some of the substantial investment such as the Beveridge intermodal terminal, which is $1½ billion, about which the mayor of Mitchell in Victoria says will employ about 20,000 people; there will be 20,000 jobs inspired by that in Victoria. In the seat of Parkes, for the Newell Highway about $1½ billion has been invested, and the biggest investment project in Australia, the Inland Rail, goes through the seat of Parkes.

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for McEwen is warned.

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

This is a clear example of the investment that we are making in the future of our nation to make us stronger and to make it happen as quickly as possible.

It's not just there. We are making massive investments in the Pilbara. This is an area where tens of billions of dollars are being invested by the companies in that area, and we are building on it. We believe it's untenable that in the 4,000 kilometres between Perth and Darwin we don't have a city of 100,000 people, and we are working with these companies to make sure we build the Gladstone, we build the Newcastle of the north-west of Australia. This is vision. This is what we do.

We are sealing the roads through the desert, through the Tanami, to these areas. We are building the dams in North Queensland—Hells Gates, Urannah—but, of course, we need Labor's support at a state level. We are building the ports, including Bundaberg port, and we're proud enough to stand behind the miners of the Hunter Valley in upgrading Newcastle's port. We are making sure that this nation is stronger. We are making sure that we have the capacity to expand our agricultural production—60,000 hectares from one dam alone before we get to Urannah.

But the member for Parkes asked for alternative policies. We will see tonight whether there are alternative policies. We will see tonight whether their blood runs red or green. That is how we'll be able to choose. Will they support Hells Gates dam? Will they support the Urannah dam? Will they support the Hunter Valley and the coal miners? Will they support the great city of Gladstone and their miners? Will they support the Northern Territory vision for our nation? This is an election where we have a choice. We have a choice about whether we want the Minister for Defence to be the member for Gorton or the member for Dickson. We have a choice about whether we want the foreign affairs minister to be Senator Marise Payne or Senator Penny Wong. We have a choice about whether we want sneaky Jim as the Treasurer or Josh Frydenberg. We have a choice about whether we want the member for Cook or the member for Grayndler, and I know the choice the Australian people will make. (Time expired)

Honourable members interjecting—

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) | Link to this | Hansard source

The level of interjections on my left, particularly, is far too high. Members have a right to be heard in relative silence. The member for Indi has the call.

Helen Haines (Indi, Independent) | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister. This week's budget forks out $13 billion for dams with no business cases and for hand-picked projects in seats targeted by the coalition. The big-ticket item on regional health care is 80 additional medical student training prices. It would take 5,000 extra healthcare workers in regional Australia just to give us the same level of health access as the cities get, and you give us just 80 medical student places, 0.02 per cent of what is needed. After a decade in government, why can the coalition always find money for marginal seats in Queensland but never enough to fix the regional health crisis?

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

I thank the honourable member for her question. Might I say that the dams that we've picked have actually been dams that the Labor government in Queensland also picked. They picked Urannah dam and they picked Hells Gates dam. But the problem is, as I say to the honourable member, we don't know, even when we put all the money on the table, whether they'll build it. That is the issue.

Honourable Member:

An honourable member interjecting—

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

We'll find out tonight. They haven't said yes. The interjection was that we said that they didn't agree to it. At this point, I tell the honourable member, they haven't—they haven't agreed to it. We'll see tonight whether their blood runs red or green. It will be evident tonight.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) | Link to this | Hansard source

He said it runs red and green.

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

He said it runs red and green, because they're a Labor-Greens coalition—said so by the member for Grayndler.

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

Mr Speaker—

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

You won't let me answer your question.

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Prime Minister will resume his seat. The Leader of the Opposition, on a point of order?

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

Yes, Mr Speaker. This is a serious question from a crossbench member of this parliament.

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat.

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

Well, what is this mad rant?

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat.

Honourable members interjecting—

Gentlemen, colleagues, members, enough. Enough! The Deputy Prime Minister.

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

We are making massive investments in health. We are putting $66 million into MRIs, and I note that there is a massive program that has been put forward in our health section, and I note that the member for Lyne has been absolutely instrumental—and I know your interest in regional health, so I think it's very important, with respect to your question, that I let the member for Lyne, the Minister for Regional Health, further answer your question.

David Gillespie (Lyne, National Party, Minister Assisting the Minister for Trade and Investment) | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for that question. We have put forward a very strong program of initiatives in this budget—$296 million. The 80 Commonwealth supported medical school places is just one. There is also a long-term delivery of more medical students through funding to Charles Sturt University, which the member for Calare fought for—$14.8 million. They will be delivering a rural clinical school out of their home base in Orange, around many towns in regional New South Wales. As well as that we have just announced two university departments of rural health to train allied health students—nurses, physios, occupational therapists—in Western Australia, in the Goldfields and in the South West. And that is not new. That is part of an existing program.

We have a 10-year Stronger Rural Health Strategy. You mentioned the number 5,000. In fact, I checked this just before I came here—how uncanny! Since we started the 10-year Stronger Rural Health Strategy, the number of full-time equivalent GPs is 1,300; nurses, 1,200; and allied health practitioners, 2,500. That strategy has already delivered 5,000 new health professionals across the whole spectrum into regional Australia.