Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

And to take the interjection about the market: if the market decides they don't want to build one, well, they don't want to build one. That's their choice. If the market decides they don't want to build one they don't want to build one, but they've got to have that opportunity. And the member for Shortland is saying within this bill they can't. So that is the issue and it is still good to be able to stand at the very back of the chamber, like I did at the front, and stir these people up. The reason you get under your skin is because they know full well that it hurts at their home base. The people in their hometowns are saying, 'Why are you not standing behind my industry? Why are you not standing behind my house payments? Why are you not standing behind my job? Why are you not standing behind the cost of putting my kids through school? Why are you not standing behind my capacity to have the boat, the car, of my choice? Why are you forcing me into a lower paid job? Why is your religion driven by the inner suburbs of the major capitals when you used to be the labour party? When you lost the 'u', you lost me.' You no longer believe in the people who put you there, in the reason your party was created. You have stepped away from it.

Might I say that, of the more wily politicians who exist in this place, there is one who has smelt the breeze and he sits over there now. He used to sit down there. The member for Hunter. And the member for Hunter went home and realised that he probably wouldn't have a job unless he changed what he was saying. I'll say to you, Member for Shortland: you're going to lose your job. You're gone. We've done the polling on you. You're dead. You're gone. You're finished.

Mr Conroy interjecting—

Yes, we have. And I'll tell you: it's your own people. They don't want to vote against you but they feel they have to vote against you.

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