Kelly O'Dwyer (Higgins, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister was in Inverbrackie the day before her announcement and refused to consult with the local community about her decision. She in fact did not even bother to consult with the Labor Premier, who said afterwards that he has made no secret of the fact that he was disappointed that the federal government did not properly consult the state government before making its announcement.

The local community has a right to be heard. It deserves an opportunity to have a say on the issue. People have raised legitimate concerns about the impact of the plan and the impact it will have on local schools, health facilities and transport in the local area. And they are right to say that they need to see the transparency of the decision and the plans that the government has put in place.

The immigration minister, Chris Bowen, refuses to meet with members of the community. He refuses to discuss the issue, preferring instead to accuse them of overreacting. As I said, this is part of a pattern. We only need to look at the recent announcement of Minister Tony Burke in relation to the draft guide to the draft plan of the Murray-Darling Basin, we only need to look at the $43 billion that is being wasted on the NBN project, we only need to look at the fact that the government is going to introduce a carbon tax, to know this is an arrogant government. (Time expired)

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