Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Certainly there is nothing wrong with that, Minister. But what is wrong is that our Prime Minister does not seem to recognise our farmers, Australian farmers. You can laugh about it; you can joke about it. But Parliamentary Secretary Sidebottom, who is beside you, knows exactly how important our farmers are. And I am sure that you do, too, Minister. But they are not being recognised in this place and they are certainly not being recognised or acknowledged by the Prime Minister. That is a disgrace, because our farmers deserve recognition. They do not ask for a hand out; they just ask for a hand up. They ask for a fair go. They are not getting one from a Prime Minister who thinks that going to regional Australia is going to the Western Suburbs of Sydney.

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