Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Hansard source

I want to thank the honourable member for his question and acknowledge that in the electorate of Cowper there has been no community transmission nor a case for 123 days. His electorate on the Mid North Coast, like many regional electorates across the country, has been very, very good at keeping the case rates to a minimum, in complying with what the Chief Medical Officer has asked them to do as far as social distancing, self-isolation if required, and helping each other out, because that's what country communities do. I always say that our country communities are big enough in which to get a good cup of coffee and small enough to care, and that is regional Australia. I thank all those regional Australians for what they've done to make sure that the COVID-19 case rates have been kept to an absolute minimum.

I want to also acknowledge a business in Port Macquarie, Coast 2 Coast Sports, which has transformed its business and pivoted from making sports apparel to making hand sanitiser which is then made available for community sports teams. Community sports, where it's been possible to for them to be played, in our regional areas have given an uplift and certainly ensured that those perhaps flagging spirits have been given a boost. I know how important sport is and I acknowledge our sporting clubs for what they do to help spread the word in such things as ensuring that anti-domestic-violence measures are put in place, as far as mental health is concerned. I thank those sports communities and those sports teams, particularly in the member for Cowper's electorate. An Aboriginal woman—

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