Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

Reflecting what National Party mates want, which is for the rorts for the private sector to continue. The fact is that we are truly representing regional Australia. The fact is that we are working with people of goodwill. Next Monday night and next Tuesday there will be mayors and shire presidents from all over the nation coming to Canberra and being treated with respect like never before from a national government. That is why they have responded so positively.

But those opposite who are not quite sure what they stand for, whether it is the National Party, the Liberal Party or what have you, are so confused. The Leader of the Nationals essentially stated again that he was against the purchase of overallocated water entitlements in the Murray-Darling Basin. I say: is that the position of the coalition? They have been all over the shop on this. If you do not address overallocation in the Murray-Darling Basin, you cannot possibly provide a long-term solution. But it is not just the Labor Party that they are opposed to. They have deliberately stopped any of the three Independent members speaking in this debate. It is not just the Labor Party that they do not want to hear from. When we sat on that side of the House the Independents were given a fair go. I have raised with the Leader of the Opposition the issue of the Independents being allowed to speak in this debate. They have raised it with the Opposition Whip and they have been excluded. Anyone who is fair-minded and independent would regard the 12 years of betrayal by the National Party as a blight on regional policy development and would look towards what the new government has done in just 12 short months to correct the imbalance which was there.

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