Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I've been to many regional shows. This is the regional show season in Western Australia—spring. Many of the large regional shows occur at this time. I've spent many hours on my feet at those regional shows talking to Western Australians from both the city and the bush because these shows do attract a wide range of people. Many topics came up: Labor's plan to ban live exports, the tax regime, property rights and even some left-field ideas, like nuclear power.

The overwhelming issue that came up was, of course, the referendum. Overwhelmingly, those people who spoke to me were going to vote no. They didn't do so from a place of negativity. They did so having looked at the proposals for and against and made a clear decision on their position. They were angry at the PM for putting such a divisive proposal to us. They were angry at the Prime Minister for trying to divide the nation. They were even more angry at the large corporations and sporting associations who wanted to impose themselves on the debate with no duty of care for our Constitution. Those corporations do not care about our Constitution. Those major sporting codes do not care about our Constitution.

The protecters of our Constitution are the citizens of Australia, and I am confident that they will take their responsibility seriously, look at the arguments on both sides and come to a conclusion that this referendum should be voted against. Vote no.