Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question. And, might I say, what a great program the inland rail is, and I understand all the horticultural production in your area and the great assistance all those containers will be—200,000 container a year that will be able to be moved on the inland rail, the great commerce that will be moved to the western districts, that great vision for the nation that has been provided for us by a government that can actually put the money on the table for this. We will see the growth in places such as Goondiwindi, Parkes, Moree, Narrabri and Wodonga. We will see the benefit to Brisbane and the benefit to Melbourne. We will see this because we are a government of vision, a government that delivers.

You rightly asked the question about whether there are any alternative policies. Well, who would know? See, the shadow minister for transport is not allowed to speak in this place. The shadow minister for transport is now politically mute. He has got himself a new tie and a new suit, but he cannot speak. I think they must have put an embargo on him. The poor old shadow minister for transport is being stopped from speaking his mind. We had a look at it the other day and we said that Mr Shorten was a bit worried about Mr Shorten's Praetorian Guard of supporters—

See this speech in context