Peter McGauran (Gippsland, National Party, Deputy Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

One was the member for Isaacs. See how quickly you are forgotten when the Labor Party exiles you? It is papering over all of its cracks, but the divisions and enmities within run deep. The disagreements and the dislikes plunge to almost unfathomable depths. After all, it was the member for Corio who talked about the rottenness in the Labor Party. Empty promises with no track record to rely upon and no serious policy initiatives of any kind are no substitute for hard work. Lazy oppositions are always held accountable in the same way that governments are.

Country people are above all else fair and balanced. They will assess the performance of local members. They will assess the performance of political parties. They will give Labor a chance. But Labor has never done anything for them to assess, as against the policies and the programs of the Liberal and National parties. We have much to be proud of in government in our 10 years of representing regional and rural Australia and we have many plans for the future. We have the same energy and dedication that first brought us to office. We have a vision for rural and regional Australia—the building of infrastructure and support for rural and regional communities. Unlike the Labor Party, we will not sell them out and we will never descend to the depths of empty rhetoric and false promises.

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