David Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources) Share this | Hansard source

of your employees on a Friday afternoon—the stress and strain. Let me tell you, the reality is that there is strain and stress. But, if you give them that opportunity and put money back into those small businesses, they invest it back into their small businesses and they invest it back into their communities.

We're also putting in infrastructure around our farmers for the telecommunications of the 21st century, through the Mobile Black Spot Program. Never before have we seen an investment of $200 million in the tools of the 21st century that our farmers need. As the member for Flynn and I went around, we heard day after day about the huge advantages that the Mobile Black Spot Program has put into regional and rural Australia.

We believe in the 320,000 Australians employed by agriculture. But the thing that worries me is that, only a week ago, in a National Press Club address, the Leader of the Opposition did not once utter the word 'agriculture'. Not once did he say 'agriculture'. God help those that work in agriculture and those in regional Australia if the Leader of the Opposition ever becomes Prime Minister.

See this speech in context