Marion Scrymgour (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories. Minister, how is the Albanese Labor government delivering for our regional communities?

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! I have not called minister. I remind the member for Mitchell that he's on very thin ice. I give the call to the Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories.

Kristy McBain (Eden-Monaro, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for that question. The member does a fantastic job representing remote Territorians, the Tiwi Islands and our external territories in Christmas Island and Cocos Islands. Thank you very much.

As a regional member, I'm incredibly proud to be part of the Albanese Labor government, delivering for regional Australia. We on this side of the House know how important it is to back our regional businesses, regional communities, local councils and farmers. Those opposite talk a big game and deliver a lot of press releases, but they actually forget the delivery part! The bush summit is a great opportunity for us to come together with regional communities, industries and businesses to have those direct conversations. I know that the Prime Minister is looking forward to going to Tamworth tomorrow and speaking to people at the bush summit there, as are my colleagues across this place who will be going to different parts of the country and participating in the bush summit. For my part, I am interested in this and heading to Wodonga on Tuesday of next week to be part of the bush summit and to hear firsthand from our regional communities.

But time and time again when I am out listening to regional communities there are a couple of key things. No. 1 is housing, because it's a critical part of regional development. If you cannot provide housing then you cannot get workers, whether they be in our essential services, like child care or aged care, or our teachers. Last week, I met with the North West Queensland ROC—10 councils from North West Queensland—who said, each and every one of them, 'Housing is a priority for us'. That was backed in the following day when I met with Bendigo and Shepparton councils, who said the same thing.

The former government failed to put dollars into housing policy. They failed to deliver for regional communities. And, on this side of the House, we know how important it is to deliver that, which is why we have a comprehensive housing policy—

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The minister will pause. There is far too much noise on my left and right. I want to hear from the Manager of Opposition Business.

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Speaker, my point of order is on relevance. This answer is riddled with references to 'those opposite', the former government. The question was in fact a commendably tight question: how is the Labor government delivering for our regional communities? The minister should be directed back to the question.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister has been going for two minutes and I'm going to ask her to return to the question she was asked.

Kristy McBain (Eden-Monaro, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you. As I said, we went to the election with a comprehensive housing policy, and I would urge those opposite and the Greens party to listen to what your communities are telling you. They're telling you to back the Housing Australia Future Fund.

Connectivity is no longer a nice-to-have thing in our country, it's an absolute necessity. While they talk a big game for our regional communities, they failed to deliver for our regional communities. That's why it has taken a Labor government to deliver telecommunications and connectivity across the country. There was $2.2 billion in our regional connectivity plan and $2.4 billion for the NBN upgrades. That's 660,000 additional premises that will get fibre to the premises. Those opposite failed to deliver for regional Australia. Isn't it interesting that it takes a Labor government to stick up for regional Australia, say connectivity is important, deliver housing and back our regional communities!