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

Tonight I will be studying the budget hard to determine how much the Deputy Prime Minister is going to spend on the relocation of the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority to Armidale in his own electorate. Will it be $24.9 million of taxpayers' money? Will it be $50 million of taxpayers' money? Indeed, will it be $60 million of taxpayers' money the Prime Minister is going to allow the leader of the National Party to spend on this boondoggle in his own electorate? It is a boondoggle which is going to destroy the capacity of this authority to do the important work it does on behalf of farmers in this country, and not just farmers but consumers of food which has been treated with crop protection.

This is the worst pork barrel I have seen in the history of this parliament, and the Prime Minister will sit back idly and allow his Deputy Prime Minister to get away with this boondoggle at great expense to the workforce of the APVMA, at great expense to the farmers of this country and at great expense to exporters in this country, whose challenges will be made much harder by the lack of capacity of this authority to properly do this work. The Prime Minister should show some leadership. He should stand up to the Deputy Prime Minister and say, 'This is a total waste of taxpayers' money.' Relocating the authority to Armidale— (Time expired)

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In accordance with standing order 43, the time for members' statements has concluded.