Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to commence my contribution to this debate by congratulating the member for Hunter for the fine job he did in getting the Hunter Expressway built. That was vitally important for rural and regional Australia. It shows that he really understands the needs of rural and regional Australia. It shows that he understands that coal needs to be taken from the mines to the port, and that produce needs to be taken from the farm to the port and to markets. It really demonstrates what a fine shadow minister for agriculture he is and what a fine minister for agriculture he was.

Unfortunately, it is quite a different situation with those of the other side of this House. Year after year, parliament after parliament, government after government they have taken rural and regional Australia for granted. They believe they will get their support so they do not really try very hard. They inflict pain on them each and every budget, be it ripping money out of agriculture or be it ripping services out of rural and regional Australia.

This budget is very bad news for rural and regional Australia. You only have to listen to the contributions made by the Minister for Agriculture today to see why it is bad news for rural and regional Australia. His answer in question time was incomprehensible. He goes on to talk in this debate about live export as if it was the only issue impacting on the lives of people living in rural and regional Australia. Well, Minister for Agriculture, there are a lot of other things impacting on the lives of people in rural and regional Australia.

One of the issues is health and the simple fact that this government is hitting all people with a GP tax, a co-payment, when they go to visit the doctor. This will particularly hurt people in rural and regional Australia. There was already a chronic doctor shortage in those areas and that doctor shortage tends to lead to higher fees. I would like to refer to my bible when it comes to health—The blame game report that was brought down in 2006.

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