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

What is wrong with the former mayor of Tamworth? Does he not have quite enough letters after his name to be considered worthy by the Labor Party—a person who has been in the construction industry for 25 years; a person who was one of the leading mayors in New South Wales; a person who has underpinned the growth of one of our great regional cities?

But, of course, what we see on the Labor Party side is that, once we start having someone from a regional area, the Labor Party doesn't like that. They are not quite good enough for the Labor Party. That goes to show in grand form how the Labor Party does not believe in regional Australia. The Labor Party doesn't want representation from regional Australia at a prominent level. In fact, the member for Ballarat, of all people, came and absolutely back slammed a regional person.

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