Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

It is always good to follow the member for Hinkler, the Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister. I listened closely to his contribution. I tell you what, it was a lot better than the member for Hunter's effort earlier in this debate. I heard the member for Hinkler say quite clearly that, for every dollar of research and development levy money spent, $13 goes back to the farmer and $30 goes back to the wider community—and he is so right. R&D is so important, and that is why it is crucial that the Primary Industries Levies and Charges Collection Amendment Bill 2016 be passed by this parliament. This bill amends the Primary Industries Levies and Charges Collection Act 1991 to allow for the distribution of levy payer information to rural research and development corporations, RDCs, for the development of levy payer registers.

Just as I listened carefully to the member for Hinkler, while sitting in my office a short while ago I also listened very carefully to the member for Hunter, the so-called shadow minister for agriculture, who rubbished the decentralisation of research and development corporations to regional areas. He ought to be sticking up for regional areas. He ought to be advocating for decentralisation. He is one of the alleged Country Labor members. You would think he would be coming into this place and talking up decentralisation, talking up the relocation of RDCs to rural and regional areas.

I have to say that Wagga Wagga, my home town, is the beneficiary of one of these decentralised projects. Wagga Wagga, on 10 February this year, was announced as the new home of a dozen jobs in the core function of the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, RIRDC, in a shake-up announced by the federal government. I welcomed the announcement.

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