Clare O'Neil (Hotham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Liberal and National MPs opposite have abandoned their local communities. Never has an unfair budget treated rural and regional communities so unfairly. It may seem a little strange for a city representative to be making a contribution to the discussion this afternoon, but I want to say to those on the opposite side of the House and to people living in rural and regional Australia right around the country that if the Nationals and the Liberals will not stand up for rural and regional Australians, then a city person like me will.

There are a lot of people in our caucus in the Labor Party whether representing regional communities or city communities who care desperately about the plight of rural and regional Australians. That is why we have been fighting so hard against some of the particularly draconian measures in this budget, which are hurting regional and rural Australians. Whether it is things like the GP tax or the broader health measures that are being done as part of this budget, or whether it is the petrol tax, in just about every area of major change in this most recent budget, rural and regional Australians will be hit harder. It is just not fair.

I want a focus of little bit on the area of education, because that is an issue where regional Australians will be particularly hurt. We know that regional campuses are going to close because of the changes that are being made by those on the opposite side of the House. These regional campuses are essential to helping young people right around the country get educated and that is why, along with those other changes, we will continue to fight against these attacks.