Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Minister for Resources and Northern Australia) Share this | Hansard source

As I was saying, Senator McDonald knows well how important the sector is. One case in point is, earlier this year, in the devastating floods that hit north-west Queensland, which Senator McDonald knows well, the general aviation sector was crucial for that immediate first response to help people in danger, to support graziers getting feed and other materials for their household and to their cattle, and to help move cattle as much as possible out of danger's way. The sector itself is a massive one for our country. Directly or indirectly, over 500,000 Australians rely on the aviation sector to their jobs. There is something in the order of 22,000 aircraft that support those jobs in the communities they operate in. There are 255 flying schools right across Australia. We want to make sure that we maintain that support for regional Australia and regional Australian businesses because if we can't fly, those distances become longer than they already are.