Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At the invitation of the Leader of the House, my question is to the Minister for Agriculture. I refer him to the importance of the diesel fuel rebate to primary producers and, indeed, to rural communities more generally. Can he confirm that Gina Rinehart now has more influence over coalition policy that does the National Party, and isn't it the rural community and primary producers who are suffering from this lack of influence on the part of the National Party?

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I said, I have been giving liberal interpretation and that will stand.

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is just Nirvana, isn't it—no questions, then two in a day! I was about to put a cutout of myself down there but this is incredible.

Dr Chalmers interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There will be silence on my left. The member for Rankin is warned.

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The most amazing thing is that we talk about influence. I will tell you where most of the influence is. Most of the influence is in the union movement. I will tell you where there is real influence. We saw some influence today—Eddie Obeid. Now there is a man with real influence. Here is another one of influence—Ian Macdonald—another former colleague of yours with real influence. These people have real influence. Their influence has been proven by the Independent Commission Against Corruption, that said today that they are corrupt. And where do they come from? They come from the austere environment of the Australian Labor Party, New South Wales Division.

The Australian people know that if they really do want an increase in the tax on diesel, then they must vote for the Labor Party, because they endorsed a 6.85c a litre increase in the price of diesel. That is correct, isn't it? We know it is correct because they stand by that policy. The reason they stand by that policy is because of their alliance with the Australian Greens. People have got to understand that the Greens and the Labor Party have this pact. Single-handedly, they were going to cool the planet, and one of the ways they were going to do it was by making everybody poorer with a 6.85c a litre tax. It is quite bizarre. On the day when Eddie Obeid has been declared by ICAC to be corrupt, that you start talking about who is influencing who.