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

I have received a letter from the honourable member for Page proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the House for discussion, namely:

This Government's betrayal of regional Australia is hurting family budgets and businesses.

I call upon those honourable members who approve of the proposed discussion to rise in their places.

More than the number of members required by the standing orders having risen in their places—

Kevin Hogan (Page, National Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A cheaper, better, fairer plan for all regional Australians—indeed, for all Australians—in relation to energy prices, cost-of-living pressures and emission reductions has been released, and I can tell you right now that this plan is much cheaper than Labor's $9 trillion net zero 2050 plan, it's better than Labor's $9 trillion net zero 2050 plan and it's certainly fairer than Labor's net zero 2050 plan. Deputy Speaker, you would know that every household in this country is struggling with its power bills. You know that there have been a lot of government bailouts, which I will go into. Industry and business are struggling in this country.

But, Deputy Speaker, there's more to it than that. I'd ask you the question: should regional Australians, as an example of Labor's reckless renewable-only plan, have to absorb 60 million solar panels for that plan to work? I would say no. Should regional Australians, because of Labor's reckless renewable-only plan, have to absorb 20,000 wind turbines in regional Australia? Again, I would that say the answer to that is no. Should regional Australia have to absorb 20,000 kilometres of new transmission lines or poles and wires through pristine forest and important agricultural land, dividing communities about those? I would say again that the answer to that is no. But there's more than that as well. We are seeing job losses being announced—thousands of job losses have been announced already—because firms in regional Australia, especially heavy industry, cannot afford their power bills. But, again, there's more just in regional Australia that's been very damaging. Because of Labor's plan, thousands of hectares have been locked up. Productive agricultural land has been locked up, unable to be used for agriculture because of Labor's plan. Right now, this is all occurring every day, and it has to stop.

One of the problems, I believe, in this plan that was released is that Labor's emission reduction ambitions are much faster than the rest of the world's. They're certainly much faster than China's, India's, the US's and those of many other countries. The pace of what they are proposing is sending us broke. I have a map of Australia here that I want to go through. They talk about Future Made in Australia. I can tell you right now that, if Labor's plan continues at the rate that it is, we won't have anything made in Australia. The whole Future Made in Australia plan will be a fantasy land because no-one will be able to afford to compete with anyone in the rest of the world with what they're trying to do. Here's a map of Australia. I certainly won't hold it up, but I'm just going to refer to it while I go through some of the examples here. These are companies or industries that either have shut down or are looking for assistance because they otherwise will shut down. In Western Australia, you've got the nickel smelter in Kalgoorlie. In Kwinana, in Western Australia, you've got a nickel refinery and an aluminium refinery. In South Australia, you have the steel mill in Whyalla and you have the lead smelter in Port Pirie. In Hobart, you have an aluminium smelter and a zinc refinery asking for assistance. In New South Wales, just in the last couple of weeks, you have Tomago, an aluminium smelter, needing assistance. In Queensland, you have a copper refinery and a zinc refinery in Townsville and a copper smelter and a lead smelter in Mount Isa.

In anyone's language, when you have all this happening in a very short space of time—most of those have all happened over the last few months—you have to ask yourself: what is going on? what is the problem? There's a link, and it's not a very difficult link to draw. The problem all of them have is their energy bills. Our energy bills in Australia are now higher than in Japan—and we export energy to Japan. Work that out! This is linked to the emissions reductions in Labor's net zero 2050 plan. You might say, 'We should do our bit for emissions reductions.' I agree. We agree that we should do our bit for emissions reductions. But let's not fool ourselves; Australia contributes one to two per cent of global emissions. The three biggest emitters across the globe are the United States, China and India. And none of them—not one of those economies—has signed up to this government's aggressive emissions reduction targets.

They may feel very righteous. They may feel like they're going to save the globe, but I can tell you right now that you could shut Australia down today—turn off every light and every electrical appliance and stop driving any car or any vehicle. You could do all that and what would that mean? That would do nothing to the temperature of the globe. China's emissions go up by more every year than the total emissions of this country, but this government is hell-bent on an ideology to cut emissions at a rate that, literally, is going to mean we're not going to be exporting anything except jobs. Jobs will be the biggest export in this country with Labor's emissions reduction targets.

We released a plan on the weekend with emissions reductions—a very sensible plan, I believe, for doing our fair share. We actually took China and India out of the modelling because we thought, 'If we kept them in, we could still keep raising our emissions.' We looked at OECD countries—like-minded and similar economies to ours. We said, 'Let's match them. Let's not do what they say they're going to do; let's do what they are actually doing.' The modelling would show that, with the ideological obsession that this government has, we would not be racing ahead. But we would certainly slow down this government's exporting of jobs. I commend that report to those opposite.

While I'm talking about the disregard of this government toward regional Australia, I have to go over a couple of other issues as well. During the last parliament, some of the most damaging things for regional Australia were announced in this chamber. The one I always have to mention—because it's gutting communities in the regions—is the fact that this government took water away from our communities through the Murray-Darling Basin plan. They have this obsession that the River Murray can never be shut. The mouth of the River Murray used to be shut all the time before the locks and weir system, because locks and weirs hold the water back. But this is an obsession by the Labor Party. The other thing I have to talk about is the live export industry, which has been gutted by this government.

I was hoping to get a question up in question time today on this, but the other disregard that this government has for regional Australia is its solution for the roads problem—I'm glad the minister is here at the table. They have been ripping money out of local roads and the regional roads program. They say: 'We're not going to give you the road funding that we currently give you. We're not going to give you Roads of Strategic Importance. We're going to close the local roads and the community infrastructure program.' Do you know what their solution is to the fact that they're not giving us any money for roads in regional Australia? Their solution is to make you drive slower—that's their solution. The minister is also reported as saying that this only relates to unsealed roads. I'd like the minister to confirm that it's only unsealed roads, because that's not our understanding. If we've got a sick child or we've got a family emergency and we're 100 kilometres from the hospital or 100 kilometres from a GP, guess what? 'Sorry. We're not going to give you money to fix up your roads; just drive slower to the appointment.' If you've got a 100 kilometre drive to work every day and you've got family commitments, bad luck! Just drive slower! That's this government's response to that.

The other thing that I need to talk about, because this government talks all the time about health and talks all the time about its commitment to Medicare, is the health issue. This government again made the decision very early in the last term of parliament that the thing that was going to change was the distribution priority area. So good on them if they think they're doing a good job by putting money into Medicare. The problem when they changed the distribution priority area for GPs was that a lot of our communities lost their GPs. So, if you can get to see a doctor or drive a long way to see one, you hypothetically, through Medicare, may not be paying as much as you were, but we've been gutted. Our health system, our GP system, has been gutted by decisions of this government.

I encourage those opposite to read the plan. I encourage those opposite—because their net zero 2050 plan is killing regional Australians. It's going to export jobs. The infrastructure spending that you've taken out of this is also doing a terrible thing to regional Australia, and shame on all of you.

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

I must admit I can't believe the member for Page had time to pitch that MPI, because of the amount of time that is being chewed up by the internal fighting between the Nationals and the Liberal Party. I'm sure it has taken up a huge amount of time. He has the absolute gall to accuse this government of abandoning regional Australia and hurting household budgets and businesses, when the Nationals spend more time talking to each other and the media than they do talking to people in their local communities. The last point that was just made by the member for Page, which was backed in by a bunch of people behind him, was so misleading. It's deliberately misleading the public on the issue of speed limits.

It was the previous coalition government that determined that priority action No. 1 was to review speed limits in rural and regional Australia. In fact, it was the former deputy prime minister, the member for Riverina, who made the commitment. It was priority action No. 1. The communique that was released following that has his name attached to it along with a bunch of Liberal and National state counterparts. I'm just going to table that. So, when the Nationals are out there on some folly about how reducing road speed limits has somehow got something to do with carbon emissions, please know that the Office of Road Safety is following through with a priority action plan that was devised under their former government. I know that might not seem important, but, to us, telling the truth in local communities is important.

The other truth that's incredibly important is that road funding has increased under this government. Not only has it increased for every local council across the country, but road blackspot funding has also increased. We have created the new Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program. Member for Page, you might be interested in this. It means an increase of $461 million across councils in New South Wales—over $1.2 billion in road funding to every single council—and that's not some beauty pageant grant contest. It's money that automatically goes to every single council; no colour coded spreadsheets needed. Every local council is getting more money for local roads than ever before, because we know how important it is to travel safely to your school, to your sporting events, to medical appointments, to work—

Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Invite-only grants programs.

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

Invite only? No.

Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Member for Gippsland!

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

Roads to Recovery is for every local council. I suggest you read up on it.

Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Member for Gippsland, if you are going to ignore me, you can leave. It's your choice.

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

I'm really glad to be here talking about regional Australia. I come from a small town. Right now, my husband, who employs members of our local community, is doing his job as a small business owner, providing services to people where we live.

We have over the weekend made an incredible change, where bulk-billing came into effect for every single Australian, regardless of what their status is. Investing in bulk-billing changes lives in regional communities. People no longer have to make a decision about whether they can afford to go to the doctor or not. For regional centres, this is very important. More than a thousand GP clinics were signed up to the new program before it even started. There are a thousand more clinics who are bulk-billing communities right across the country. I want to personally give a shout-out to Jindabyne Medical Practice, Bega Valley Medical Practice and the Goulburn Health Hub, who have all announced that they will sign up to bulk-billing every person that comes through their doors. For so long, Medicare rebates were frozen by those opposite. What we're doing instead is supporting more doctors into regional, rural and remote Australia. Why are we doing that? Because it's really bloody important. Those opposite talked about GP shortages but didn't do anything. Did they incentivise anyone?

Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, I'd like you to withdraw that expression.

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

I withdraw the words.

Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you.

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

It is really important. Those opposite could have incentivised GPs to go into our regions, but did they do it? No. Instead it look a Labor government to do that.

On this side of the chamber, we've made the largest investment in health care in our regions ever, with 90 urgent care clinics around the country, 31 of which are already delivered in our regions. We're investing in rural medical schools to help ensure more medical students can train and live in regional and rural communities, because we know, and the data tells us, that if they train in our regions they'll stay in our regions. There's a $90 million investment to help address healthcare shortages right across our regions. We are providing incentives for doctors and nurse practitioners by waiving their HECS fees, as I said.

Speaking of HECS, how are we helping more people to earn more and keep more of what they earn? Well, we're giving students across our regions a 20 per cent reduction in their HECS bills and we're making sure that more people are eligible for tax cuts than ever before—14 million taxpayers across our communities. Why do we want more people in our regions to keep more of the money they earn? It's because when they do they go and support local small businesses, which is incredibly important.

Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They were big businesses when we were in government!

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

God! While those opposite are trying to work out which side of history they want to be on, we are talking about regional families and looking at how we can ease the cost of living. They're already upset, as I said, because we've doubled Roads to Recovery, whereas they sat idly by and did nothing when local councils asked for more money. What they did was freeze financial assistance grants, which took a billion dollars from local councils in all of our communities.

I want to remind them of what they did when it came to the supermarket code of conduct: they introduced a voluntary code. That was great for our farmers, wasn't it? 'Let's ask the supermarkets if they'll be nicer to farmers.' Were they? No. On this side of the House, we said, 'That's not good enough; we're going to introduce a mandatory code.' But what did those opposite do? Did they vote for a mandatory code of conduct to protect farmers? No, you didn't. You wanted to leave the supermarkets to let rip and do whatever they wanted to farmers and other primary producers. On this side of the House, we said, 'Not good enough—we are going to protect farmers and small businesses with a mandatory code of conduct with multimillion-dollar penalties for those who breach it.' On big business versus farmers and families, I know who I stood with: I stood with farmers and families. I made sure there was a mandatory code of conduct to protect people.

We are investing in people, in skills and training and in services. These are the investments that regional communities are calling for, and that's exactly what we are doing. We delivered prac payments because we know it's important to support people when they are training to deliver services in our regions.

Our Cheaper Home Batteries Program has been so incredibly important. Ray from Braidwood in my electorate got in touch. He said his home battery system has already lowered his electricity bill. In the first month since he installed his battery, his bill dropped to $22—22 bucks. High-five, Ray. It's also really helped him to change his views and his habits on how he uses his electricity during off-peak periods. I want to make sure that in this House we are supporting regional communities and regional Australians just like Ray, and those opposite are fighting climate wars which should have been dead 20 years ago. They're out of touch with regional communities and they're out of touch with reality.

Speaking of utilities, let's talk about the NBN, which is incredibly important for driving productivity in rural and regional Australia. Whether you work from home, you have a small business, you want to access health care or you are studying, it's important to have connectivity. Under those opposite, when they were in government, there was a deliberate underinvestment in communications. Instead of narrowing the technology divide, they widened it.

It is so important to keep our communities connected. Just 15 minutes away from here, half of a suburb called Jerrabomberra had had fibre to the premises. Those opposite, when they came to government in 2013, ripped up the contracts and said, 'That's not important enough to us,' so for more than a decade the other half of the suburb was still dealing with copper—copper dropouts. It took another Labor government to come back and finish the rollout.

It took a Labor government to deal with the data caps that were on Sky Muster satellites. During COVID, I had members of my community who were trying to learn and work from home saying, 'We got 10 days into the month and we hit our data cap,' because those opposite had data caps on satellite plans. Does that make sense in a regional community? It took us to come to government and say: 'That's not on. We're not having that.'

There has been a massive investment to expand full-fibre NBN to more than 2.1 million premises across the country. It is so important in our regions to make sure we're connected.

And, while I'm on it, there's the Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation. We went to an election saying: 'This is incredibly important. The technology is there. Let's make the telcos do it.' Those opposite couldn't even get on board with that, for regional communities.

Anne Webster (Mallee, National Party, Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It has been highly entertaining, listening to the minister—my counterpart, in point of fact. I first want to address how this government is devastating regional communities—effectively, abandoning regional communities.

I particularly want to point out that the minister's statement regarding the lowering of default speed limits is actually not accurate. I have in front of me the department of infrastructure consultation that we are referring to, which clearly says that—as to this consultation on potentially lowering the default speed limit on sealed and unsealed regional roads which are unmarked—one of the benefits is to reduce fatalities. Nobody is going to dispute that we all want to see fatalities reduced. Also it's to reduce fuel consumption costs. I didn't know they cared! And, thirdly, it's so that emissions from fuel consumption will be lower. Now, seriously! I've heard them say, 'This is not a climate change issue at all.' I'm sorry—as I have said several times this week, this has the Minister for Climate Change and Energy's fingerprints all over it.

What this consultation actually shows is that the cost to those who live in the regions is going to be about slower travel time. Really? Is that actually accurate? Yes. Parents will take longer to get their kids to school. Parents will take longer to get their kids to sport. Parents will take longer to take their children to the doctor. This is the cost of this ridiculous notion.

Now, I have spoken to the member for Riverina about this very consultation, which, I would like to clearly say, we did not implement, because it is so foolish. I will be very interested to see what the consultation paper—and we called for it to be extended, because it was brought out under the cover of darkness; nobody knew that this consultation was taking place until this last week.

It is an incredibly ridiculous notion—to make people in the regions just simply drive slower, rather than expending money on roads. On that point, I would speak to the minister again, although she has left the chamber, and say that, while Labor continually say that they have doubled the dollars to Roads to Recovery, the fact of the matter is that it hasn't happened yet. Like everything, we have a great announcement, but where's the follow-through? The money has not happened. The roads are still broken. And everybody in regional Australia knows it. In terms of how this government has betrayed those who live in the regions, I have to talk about the 3G shutdown. What a debacle! Twelve months ago, on this government's watch, the 3G shutdown occurred. Telstra, Optus, TPG—everybody was involved, but the minister approved the shutdown. The problem was that the promise was made that there would be no harm done and everybody would be fine. The reality is that many, many people—we don't know how many—have no service. They cannot connect. Forget about calling triple 0. That is absolutely not available. People are now putting Starlink on their roofs and finding other ways. They're going back to ham radios—is that what we call the ones truckies use, ham radios? You know what I'm talking about.

Kevin Hogan (Page, National Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We get the idea.

Anne Webster (Mallee, National Party, Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That's right, everybody knows what I'm talking about. They're going back to those because they haven't got connectivity. This is a huge problem and it's on this government's watch. What are they doing about it? They've got Accenture doing a report and a review with some mapping using Australia Post trucks. That'll be excellent! The report will come out in 2027. Thank you for that. In the meantime, three years will go by and people won't have connectivity and will have to find other means and ways to call their loved ones or call 000 when they need it. It is seriously and absolutely not good enough, and it is completely on this government's watch that these failures have taken place.

Lastly, I want to briefly reference the hopelessness of the 'reckless renewable rollout'. Brett Hosking of the VFF, whose farm is in the line of TCV, is featured in theWeekly Times. I don't have time to quote him, but I tell you what: Labor should look his story up.

Dan Repacholi (Hunter, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You've got to be kidding me! The opposition talking about betrayal of regional Australia? Come off it, everyone! Every time I drive around the Hunter, from Cessnock to Singleton to Muswellbrook to Lake Macquarie, I see locals working their guts out in the country, and I see this government backing them in. The last mob, who had nearly a decade in charge, had plenty of time to show regional Australia some love. Instead we got cuts, closures and photo opportunities in borrowed hi-vis gear. Roads crumbled, services disappeared and jobs went overseas. They talked a big game but delivered bugger-all, and now they want to talk about betrayal. The truth is that this government is standing with regional Australia.

Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Member for Hunter, you'll need to withdraw those comments.

Dan Repacholi (Hunter, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Sorry, Deputy Speaker. I withdraw. We're about people, not politics. We're about putting money back in the pockets of families and creating good local jobs. We're investing in the things that really matter: roads, schools, TAFE and industries that will keep the Hunter powering the nation.

Let's talk about the cost of living. We know some families are doing it tough right now. That's why we rolled out energy bill relief for every household. Whether you're in Branxton or Kurri Kurri or out at Laguna, that is real help for real bills. We have made child care cheaper for over a million families so that parents can work more hours if they choose to. When you need to see a doctor, there are more bulk-billing clinics right across the Hunter. You can walk in and not worry about having to pay the bill. That's Labor investing in Medicare. It's the biggest boost to Medicare in 40 years. We have made medicines cheaper and tripled rent assistance. We have helped older Australians with cheaper power and prescriptions. That is what helping families looks like.

Now let's talk about jobs. I'm a fitter by trade. I have worked with miners, tradies and power station workers my whole life. I know what a good local job means to a family. It pays bills, it builds pride and it keeps people in the towns that they love. That is why we are backing the next generation of workers in the Hunter. We're investing in the clean energy, critical minerals, hydrogen and battery industries. We have set up the National Reconstruction Fund to rebuild Australian manufacturing and to create secure work right here at home. And let's be clear about net zero: it's not about shutting things down. It's about doing things smarter and keeping people in work while building new industries alongside traditional industries. The Hunter is showing how this is done. We are cutting emissions with new technology and creating new opportunities in solar, wind, gas and battery projects.

We are fixing the roads and infrastructure that our region needs. Through our regional programs, we are funding projects that really make a big difference. We are upgrading roads, building community facilities and getting shovels in the ground. We are improving mobile coverage, and broadband too. Anyone out at Bucketty, Laguna or Murrays Run knows how bad it is has been when the signal has dropped out. We have pushed hard to get those black spots fixed, because you cannot run a business or call for help without a decent signal.

We are investing in people, too. Fee-free TAFE has opened the door for more than 600,000 Australians to learn a trade without a debt. I have met many young people in Singleton who have gone straight from TAFE to full-time apprenticeships. That's how you build a future. And, unlike the other mob, we don't just roll into town when there's an election; we actually live there, in the Hunter. We work here. We represent these communities every day. When floods hit, we are there. When bushfires came through, we were there. When communities needed jobs, roads or health care, we delivered.

So let's call out this MPI for what it is. It's a headline grab from a mob that ignored regional Australia for years. This government is not betraying regional Australia; we are backing it in. We are backing the miners, the farmers, the small-business owners, the nurses, the teachers and the barbers. We are backing all the industries in the Hunter to make sure we are looking after them. We are backing people who get up early, stay back late and give everything to their communities, because when the Hunter does well, the whole country does well.

That's what Labor stands for, that's what this Albanese Labor government is delivering and that's what I will keep fighting for every single day. Thank you to the amazing people in the Hunter for the hard work you all do in helping keep this country really running and alive as it is. Keep up the great work. I look forward to working with you more in the future. Cheers.

Andrew Willcox (Dawson, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing and Sovereign Capability) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Albanese Labor government has certainly betrayed regional Australia. Labor's renewable-only approach to energy has smashed regional Australia. Those opposite believe that solar panels are best placed in good-quality agricultural land—land that should be used for growing food and fibre—and that wind turbines are best placed when you wipe out the whole of the tops of hills and put them there. Koala habitats, native vegetation, virgin vegetation—all wiped out for this renewable fantasy that we see all the time.

How is the renewable fantasy going?

Ed Husic (Chifley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You're going to tell us.

Andrew Willcox (Dawson, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing and Sovereign Capability) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I take the interjection. Electricity prices are going through the roof, by 39 per cent under Labor's watch. We hear from the Minister for Climate Change and Energy that prices are lower. They're simply not. Surely those opposite must get a power bill? The price of gas has gone up by 46 per cent.

Australians cannot afford this Labor renewable-only approach. The Nationals have a better way. We've adopted a cheaper, better and fairer energy plan. Cheaper: lower energy prices by using our resources. Better: by protecting our environment, by protecting our waterways, by having better land use and by using soil carbon sequestration. Fairer: in line with other countries—we don't need to shoot ahead, we don't need to be further than all these other countries; we want to be in line with the OECD countries—and we want cities to do their fair share, where you can put solar panels on rooftops, on top of the Woolworths and the Coles and on top of airport parking lots, so they can have shade. Why do you always want to put them out in rural and regional Australia?

We have a commonsense approach. The Nationals are always bringing common sense to Canberra. We want to keep industry within this country. We want to keep our jobs and keep our living standards, and that's simply not happening with those opposite.

And it's not just about the energy. On Medicare, we were promised at the last election—the Prime Minister held up his little green card—'This is the only card you will need to see a doctor.' But in my electorate of Dawson, in Mackay—which is the biggest centre in my area, with 130,000 people—there is not one bulk-billing clinic. So you need way more than just your Medicare card. Unless you take in your credit card, you don't get to see a doctor.

But it is not just in Mackay. Let's go further north to Bowen and the Burdekin—not one bulk-billing clinic. As a matter of fact, the closest one is in Townsville, so my main population base, located in Mackay, has to drive four, 4½ hours—an eight- or nine-hour round trip—just to see a GP. That's burnt up in fuel costs alone.

But it's not just that. The Albanese Labor government has betrayed regional Australia yet again on their rural roads. Those opposite want to reduce the speed limits. I can't believe it. Rather than actually investing, spending the money on upgrading the roads—'Oh, no, let's take the lazy approach; we'll just cut the speed limits.' It's absolutely unbelievable.

And what about the Bruce Highway? Those opposite promised $7.2 billion for the Bruce Highway, our main arterial road. But, no, it was revealed in Senate estimates that there was only $232 million available over the next three years—another Labor untruth. Then we saw, just recently—I don't know whether the money's there or not; again, we'll have to prosecute this through Senate estimates—an announcement of $2 billion for the Bruce Highway south-east corner. It's another betrayal of rural and regional Australia.

Let's recap. The Labor government has betrayed us on energy prices, betrayed us on Medicare, betrayed us on rural roads, betrayed us on the Bruce Highway and betrayed the farmers. Unless Labor starts looking after regional Australia, very soon every Australian will be naked, sober and starving.

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

I enjoyed listening to the member for Dawson. I just think that the hypocrisy that I hear sometimes is simply unbearable. They want to run around proclaiming to stand up for regional and remote Australia when they are far more interested in the walls of their party room. The member for Page—and I'm glad he's come back—should know that his electorate wouldn't take up one local government area in the bush of Lingiari. The Barkly Regional Council could fit 10 areas the size of the member for Page's area inside it.

I know regional Australia and I know they have a government that is working hard to address the cost of living. The Nationals don't care about the bush, and they should just be honest about it. I was in the Northern Territory government when John Howard, as the Prime Minister, launched a savage attack on remote Australians under the Northern Territory intervention. I've watched the circus roll in and roll out, and I've watched the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison government alongside their mates Joyce, McCormack, Joyce and Littleproud systematically underinvest—or should I say their electorates—

Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You need to use correct titles when you're talking about them.

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

Sorry—New England, Riverina, New England and Maranoa. They systematically underinvested in bush communities in my electorate. The social and important infrastructure challenges we face today were paved at the time of the previous Liberal-National government.

If the opposition did its work, it would understand that our government, the Albanese government, is working hard to address the cost of living in regional and remote Australia. Across the country we have 106 remote stores who are receiving subsidised freight, meaning cheaper groceries and essential items for people out bush. We are driving jobs and economic development through a massive infrastructure boost not only in the Northern Territory but across the country. We are driving jobs by scrapping the inefficient and wasteful CDP and replacing it with a much-improved employment program, which will mean real jobs for people. We are investing in roads, making it easier to move freight around the country. We are progressively increasing the Roads to Recovery Program to $1 billion per year. We have invested a further billion dollars through the Growing Regions Program and the Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program.

In regional health, we are making it easier and cheaper for people to visit a GP or get the health care they deserve. We have rolled out 31 urgent care clinics in the regions. In my home town of Alice Springs, the urgent care clinic is going extremely well, and I acknowledge the Minister for Health for his support, lowering the strain on the Alice Springs Hospital and saving families a visit to the GP. And, if they need to visit a GP, we are also making sure clinics can bulk-bill. Over 2.5 million additional visits have been bulk-billed.

We are cutting costs across the board, and we are delivering on those tax cuts. We're providing 10,000 incentives for apprentices, which we need in the construction industry, meaning we can build more houses. We are committed to strong government for regional and remote Australia that delivers the support it needs.

The Nationals are all hat and no cowboy when it comes to delivering for regional Australia. If they want to get some dust on their RM Williams, they should come out bush with me. I will show them lower costs for essential items. I will show them roads that are getting sealed and urgent clinics in regional Australia. I can show them what investing in community really looks like. The Liberals and Nationals had a long time to address issues in regional Australia, and instead of going forwards we went backwards. Maybe that's why the member for New England is getting a bit tired of them. Well, Labor is here to fix up their mess. We are investing heavily in regional and remote communities, but I do urge them: come on a trip with me and I'll show you how good the bush is in Lingiari.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm more than happy to come to the member for Lingiari's seat any day of any week. She knows full well that, but for me, her seat would not exist. She is nodding—yes, she knows that—because I supported the Northern Territory having two seats. Capital city people don't get that. I acknowledge the work that she has done, particularly with Aboriginal women and particularly in remote communities. I also want to acknowledge the member for Hunter's contribution to regional Australia, to sport and to the Olympics—thank you—and I want to acknowledge the former mayor of Bega Valley Shire Council and now member for Eden-Monaro for her contribution to local government and now federal politics. Why are we being so nasty? Let's get to the nub of the matter.

The nub of the matter is regional people. I think we can all agree that regional people punch way above their weight when it comes to doing the right thing by this nation.

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

That's true.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, thank you. They keep the lights on, don't they? Yes, they do. They provide the food and fibre for our nation, and we should be thankful. Every time we tuck our knees under the table for breakfast, lunch or dinner, we should say thank you to a farmer. By the sweat of their brow, by the hard work that they do, they put food on the table and clothes on our backs, not just for Australia but for many other countries besides. As Senator McKenzie leaves the chamber to go to the other place, I thank her, too, for what she's doing in the shadow infrastructure role.

As we are all here, we should be exalting and praising the people of regional Australia, but there are a few facts that we need to consider. One is those is the fact that regional Australia is not getting the funding it once received—funding that it was granted by the coalition government. Where is the Building Better Regions Fund? That fund enabled local government councils—like those in the Bega Valley, in the member for Lingiari's seat and in all of our regional seats—to build an aquatics centre, work on the Main Street upgrade or whatever the case might be. Where is the Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program fund? There are 537 local councils across Australia, many of them in regional Australia, and that fund gave them the autonomy to decide to spend the money where their community needed it, wanted it, demanded it and expected it. It gave them the autonomy of local decision-making, which has been stripped away by Labor, because they've taken the fund away. If you take the fund away, you can't put asphalt on the road. What our communities want is not a discussion about whether the speed limit should be dropped from 100 to 80 or 70 kilometres per hour. What they want to see is hard cash for hard asphalt, and they're not getting it at the moment—they simply aren't.

We had the health minister before. He's has trotted off, but that's okay. We were hearing from the Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories in an earlier contribution about health. I think we would all agree that country people do it tougher than those in the leafy suburbs and under the bright city lights of metropolitan areas. They really do. We as regional members should do everything we can to make sure there is equity in health. We as opposition need to keep the government accountable. Those in government, those people opposite, what they need to do is make sure they champion health outcomes for regional people.

If you're not getting it, then tell your ministers—as part of the expenditure review committee process, as part of the cabinet process—to lift their game, because at the moment unfortunately they are not. The first order of business for Labor was to take away the distribution priority areas, so many of those country doctors took their shingle off and they moved to the Gold Coast or they moved to Newcastle or they moved to Wollongong. I'll tell you where they weren't: they weren't in regional Australia. They weren't in the remote areas of Lingiari in the Northern Territory and elsewhere in Australia. That is such a shame, because we need more doctors.

What we did in government, and what I did as the deputy prime minister was to put in the Murray Darling Medical Schools Network: $94.5 to get those wonderful medical precincts. I agree with the member for Eden-Monaro when she said that a doctor trained in the bush is more than likely to stay in the country areas, because they fall in love with the area. Moreover, they usually fall in love with somebody from that area, and they stay in the area.

Let's all agree we need to do more for regional Australia. To those Labor members, who are in government: lift your game.

Anne Urquhart (Braddon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak on the matter of public importance, borne to the chamber by the member for Page. The MPI is really a load of rubbish. Honestly, it's not worth the paper it's written on. The Albanese Labor government understands that families in our region are doing it tough. Whether it's rising grocery prices, energy bills or housing costs, the pressure is real.

I come from regional Australia. I travel to regional Tasmania regularly. I see the difficulties that people face. That's why the Albanese Labor government is focused on responsible, targeted cost-of-living relief and relief that makes a real difference to the lives of people, particularly those living in regional Australia. We're not here to play politics with issues facing those Australians; we're here to deliver on the promises we made, and that's exactly what we're doing. Since 1 July, a suite of measures rolled out right across the country, and I've seen firsthand my electorate how they're helping households in regional Australia.

Wages are up. The national minimum wage and award wages have increased by 3.5 per cent, a direct boost for thousands of workers in regional areas—workers in our factories. The previous speaker spoke about the farmers, we have lots of farmers in our region, and they support the workers in those factories that, now, many of whom will get the benefit of the wage increase we have provided to them, which is a direct boost for thousands of workers. It's money in their pockets, not promises on paper but money in their pockets.

Superannuation is stronger. The superannuation guarantee has risen to 12 per cent, helping to secure a better retirement for locals who've worked hard all their lives. We have introduced that payday super for workers to get a better deal so they don't get ripped off. Families are better supported. Paid parental leave has increased to 24 weeks and, for the first time, superannuation is paid on government PPL. That's a gamechanger for young families planning for the future. Energy bill relief is real. Another $150 is on the way before the end of this year, to help households manage rising costs and keep the lights on.

We are backing apprentices. Many of those apprentices work and live in regional Australia. With the $10,000 incentive payments for those entering housing trades as well as fee-free TAFE, again in regional communities, we are supporting jobs and helping build the homes that our communities desperately need.

We're cutting emissions and costs. On the Cheaper Home Batteries Program, we hear the energy minister almost every question time tell us about the areas where the cheaper home batteries are actually being installed. That will make a huge difference to people. I've heard directly from constituents in Spreyton and Devonport, who are already seeing the benefits of those batteries. We're easing student debt. Student loan balances have been cut by 20 per cent for three million Australians. These are issues that are meaningful for people right across the country but in particular those in regional areas. This support is targeted, it's responsible and it's reaching people who need it most.

But we're not stopping there. More relief is rolling out through the remainder of 2025. Tax cuts for every taxpayer kicked in last year, and there are more rounds coming next year and the year after. That's long-term relief, not short-term spin. Medicare is expanding. I hear often from people that this is the best thing that government has done. The urgent care clinics, the Medicare walk-in centres for mental health—these are the things that make a difference to people who live in Devonport, in Burnie and in places around regional Australia where they can walk into an urgent care clinic. Regional people in my community can get that care when they need it, without having to pay for it on their credit card. Another 50 urgent care clinics will open this year, and bulk-billing will expand in November. We're already seeing practices take up that bulk-billing incentive, and I think that will continue to keep rolling out.

We're not chasing headlines; we're delivering outcomes—that's what we're doing. We're delivering for regional Australians. We're backing workers, families, students and retirees. We're investing in our future while easing the pressure today. We'll keep working every day to make sure no-one in regional Australia is left behind, because on this side that's what good government looks like. That's what leadership looks like and it's what our regional communities deserve. I'm proud to represent the Albanese Labor government in the electorate of Braddon to deliver for regional Tasmania and people in my region.

Tom Venning (Grey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In response to the member for Lingiari, the government seem to be obsessed with size. If size matters, look in the mirror. Have a look at the size of your PM's electorate. It's smaller than a farm in my community of Bute, while my electorate is bigger than New South Wales. This month, thousands of young Australians will be sitting down for their end-of-year exams. As such, it is only fair that the government faces an examination of its own—an examination into the results for rural and regional Australians. The report card does not read well. There are fails in economics, science, agriculture, technology and health. If this government was getting an ATAR score next month, it would be a big, fat zero.

Failure No. 1: the Albanese government's mismanagement of our energy markets and power prices. Not only have our power prices not reduced by $275 but, importantly, these policies have a major impact on communities which make things, like Whyalla and Port Pirie, and on our farmers and small businesses. The policies are threatening our sovereign capabilities, damaging prime agricultural land, dividing our communities and increasing energy costs. By constructing tens of thousands of kilometres of transmission lines, solar panels and wind turbines across rural and regional Australia, this government is industrialising fertile rural farming land and the natural environment on a massive scale.

Failure No. 2: Labor's reckless and out-of-touch approach to fixing our regional roads. In the country, we want safer roads, not slower roads. This government threatens to cut speed limits to 70 kilometres per hour, which shows us yet again that Labor doesn't get rural and regional Australia. Rather than fixing the problem, they want to create more red tape. Why is Labor fixated on making our lives harder? Under this government, regional roads have severely deteriorated, with Labor cutting the levels of Commonwealth funding for regional road projects from 80 per cent down to 50 per cent, following its 2023 review of the infrastructure investment pipeline. Labor's rural and regional report card is a disaster.

Failure No. 3: the Albanese government's shameless attack on farmers' superannuation—an unworkable, half-baked tax on unrealised gains. It was a move that could have destroyed farming families. Under Jim's plan, farmers' self-managed super funds would have been taxed at 30 per cent, up from the current 15 per cent, without indexation. This policy was one of the clearest indications that Labor is only focused on the city and that the policymakers in this government just do not get it. This report card is getting worse and, if grades don't improve soon, they might get expelled. After all, next week is the 50th anniversary of the dismissal of Whitlam.

Failure No. 4: Labor's inability to tackle the childcare deserts impacting rural and regional families all across Australia, particularly in Grey. Despite the proven lifelong positive impacts of early learning and education, my electorate of Grey has the worst childcare access in the country. Around one-third of families don't have access to child care. Given this Labor-fuelled cost-of-living crisis, where you need two incomes to raise a family, it is impossible to employ young parents. This alone is a problem, but, combined with already widespread severe workforce shortages in regional and rural Australia, it makes for a dangerous ticking time bomb for already struggling towns. Not only has the Albanese Labor government refused to deliver any effective action on addressing this childcare crisis; they have made it worse.

Failure No. 5: the Albanese government's aged-care nightmare. More than 230,000 older Australians have been left stuck in limbo, waiting for access to home-care packages under Labor—and it's true that you'd expect an 18 per cent higher risk of death compared to those who receive support within 30 days. Imagine being on this waitlist if you're a rural and regional Australian—hundreds of kilometres from help, with only your friends and family on hand. These elderly rural and regional Australians built this country, fought for this country, produced food for this country and worked to make us who we are. This failure is unacceptable. Labor have forgotten rural and regional Australia. They've been put to the test but they've failed to deliver. The government needs to get its head out of the city and put some focus back on all Australians, which includes regional Australians, before its failures become disasters.

Matt Smith (Leichhardt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am disappointed that the member for Riverina didn't shout me out, as he shouted out just about everybody else in the chamber!

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You haven't spoken.

Matt Smith (Leichhardt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am here now.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You know I love you!

Matt Smith (Leichhardt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will take that interjection. Could you please return to your seat, Member for Riverina, and we can continue the conversation, or we'll have a chat later. I do agree, though: we all love the regions. We wouldn't be here if we didn't. We work hard in our communities. We've gained their trust, and now we're looking to move forward with that. Yet I hear from those opposite that perhaps they believe that the regions have been neglected, when the simple fact is that the former shadow treasurer had not visited the Far North since 2019 prior to the last election. I've got to say, a fair bit changed in Cairns between 2019 and 2024. A lot changed in terms of the way our economy worked. A lot changed in the way our health system had to work. But we weren't visited. No-one came to listen. No-one cared. I hear a lot about telecommunications, yet 97 per cent of my electorate remains without any form of mobile coverage at all. That is not new. It's always been that way. But, with the low-orbit satellites proposed by this Labor government, we will bring education, safety and better health care to all of Leichhardt. And we'll bring it not just to the urban areas but to the actual regions, the places where people are getting it done. They're growing their bananas and raising their beef in places that I don't think a lot of people over the other side have ever heard of, or cared about—or pronounced!

I've got the Minister for Skills and Training here. He shows great interest in the regions. He travels with me to places where most Australians will never set foot. He sits with the elders. He opens new TAFEs, providing opportunity for the people of the Torres Strait to learn valuable healthcare and early-childcare skills which will get them through in their careers and keep them on country, looking after the bubs, looking after the elders and growing the resilience of my communities. We're also adding our child care to remote areas, including Horn Island and Napranum, allowing young mothers—primarily mothers—to get back into the workforce. That's caring for the regions. That's understanding what the regions need. That's delivering for the regions.

I'm proud to be part of this government. I'm proud to represent an area that you can fit most European countries into. I'm proud of the 12- to 14-hour drives on dirt roads with creek crossings. I'm proud to be trying to make a difference for my area, and I'm proud to be part of a government where I can call up ministers and say, 'Hey, this is happening in Aurukun today,' and get a response. When I need a Medicare urgent care clinic, I can speak to Minister Butler—and we're getting one. When we ask about getting more money to GPs, $8.5 billion arrives—the largest investment in the history of Medicare, delivering health care right across my electorate. As of today, an additional 22 GPs in Leichhardt are bulk-billing. That is a fantastic outcome, a great outcome.

We're investing in regional airports because we know regional airlines are the lifeblood of my rural and remote communities, who are often cut off for months at a time by the wet season. If the airport goes down, people go hungry—so we've invested in that. We're investing in the road up to Port Douglas and the road up to Kuranda. There is additional floodproofing and drainage, so that when an event like Cyclone Jasper happens again—and it will happen again; climate change is upon us—we can avoid most of the damage and keep those roads open. The township of Port Douglas has suffered greatly from the closure of those roads. We are building back better to ensure that small businesses and tourism operators get their fair share of the tourism dollar that comes in to the Far North.

We are delivering for the regions. We do not ignore the regions. During the campaign, ministers came through Leichhardt all the time. They heard from elders and from community leaders. They visited TAFEs and schools. They understand what rural and regional Australia needs.

Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The time for this discussion has concluded.