Justine Elliot (Richmond, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Labor will always back regional and rural Australia and we have a proud history of supporting and delivering in these areas. We know that investing in regional areas is critically important for local communities, not just for the facilities that will be provided but also for the creation of jobs and economical activity. Building upon this proud history, we are extremely excited that on Saturday, 26 September, Labor will be holding our Country Labor Forum in Casino in northern New South Wales. This will be a great opportunity to bring together members from right across the country and across the regions to talk about the issues and discuss the policies and plans that we need. Of course, we do this is the context of the Abbott government's unfair attacks, which continue to hurt country areas, particularly as they slash vital funding.

In the regions, we blame the National Party for this betrayal. We have seen this Liberal-National government abandon regional Australia in numerous policy areas. They have no focus on jobs or trading for the regions. They cut a billion dollars from local government. They have also cut Labor's successful Regional Development Australia Fund, and they have particularly failed in the very critical service areas like heath and education. The health cuts by the Abbott government hit rural areas harder due to the challenges these communities face with regard to access to services and distances to major urban centres. On every major indicator, people living in country Australia have the poorest health outcomes, out-of-pocket health costs are higher and the rates of chronic disease are higher too. Despite all of these increased and complex issues, the government has cut hospital funding by around $50 billion and cut Medicare rebates for GPs. Compare this to Labor's record: we increased rural GPs by 29 per cent, we built 25 regional cancer centres, we had more funding for regional hospitals and we boosted bulk-billing rates.

When it comes to education, students in regional areas should have the same support and opportunities available to students in the capital cities. That is why Labor put in place Gonski reforms. Regional and country schools are among those with the most to gain from school reforms. But this government has cut the last two years of the Gonski reforms by harshly cutting $30 billion to schools funding. The Gonski school reforms include additional funding for small schools, remote schools, socioeconomically disadvantaged schools, Indigenous students and students with a disability. Today, one in every four Australian students at university is there because of Labor. Labor increased government investment in universities from $8 billion in 2007 to $14 billion in 2013. In contrast to this, we have the Abbott government's plans for $100,000 degrees, which will mean that talented kids from regional areas will just not have the opportunity to go to university. But Labor will continue to fight these very cruel changes.

I am very proud to a represent a regional electorate, but I am deeply disappointed that we currently have a government that has no plans or understanding as to how to address the very complex challenges that are facing regional and rural Australia. I especially condemn the National Party for this betrayal of regional Australia. They sell out country people every chance they get. I see it across my area and right across the nation. The National Party continue to sell out country people at every single opportunity they get and I condemn them for it.