George Christensen (Dawson, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources. Will the Deputy Prime Minister outline to the House how the government is supporting jobs in regional Australia, particularly in the agricultural sector? And is the Deputy Prime Minister aware of any threats to existing and future jobs in regional Australia, particularly in my electorate of Dawson?

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

I thank the honourable member for his question. As we know, we have a substantial investment in regional Australia. There is Inland Rail at $8.4 billion, to make sure that we can move the product around that is part of a nation that has increased its agricultural production by 31 per cent since the coalition government has been in power. Under the coalition government we have seen 23.7 per cent growth in agricultural production to December last year, and the coalition government has seen free trade agreements with Korea, China and Japan.

But the member also asked the question about if there are any threats to any further jobs, especially in regional areas, such as Dawson. And we have one—Indigenous land use agreements. Indigenous land use agreements have been deemed by a court case in Western Australia not to be able to be upheld unless they have a unanimous decision against all participants, which is completely different to what the democratic process of having a majority decision is. This is something that we know everybody believes is unfeasible and that we have to get changed.

In fact we have even seen statements by the Leader of the Opposition that clearly state that they do not believe in this and that legislation has to go through to redeem this situation, and to make sure that we go into bat for the steelworkers at Arrium and for the coalminers of Central Queensland—because we believe in coalmines. But what is happening instead is that we can all hang around tonight to listen to the Leader of the Opposition babble on. We can all listen to him, but what the people in Central Queensland want to hear, what the coalminers want to hear and what the steelworkers at Arrium want to hear is that he will resolve this issue with regard to Indigenous land use agreements.

He can do it right now. Today, in the chamber in the other place, they have had a vote for extension of hours. The Labor Party is doing everything in their power to stop helping labourers. The labourers want to go to work on Friday but the Labor Party does not! The labourers want to go to work on Friday, but the Labor Party does not—they do not want to stand up for the steelworkers. They do not want to stand up for the coalminers. They do not believe in coalmining anymore. So much so that we have the Australian Workers Union leaving the Australian Labor Party—they are leaving you!—because the Australian Workers Union recently realised that the Australian Labor Party does not believe in labourers anymore. There is no longer a belief in labourers!

And what does the member for Hunter do? Is he standing up for his coalminers? No! What does the member for Shortland do? Is he standing up for his coalminers? No! What does the leader of the Labor Party do?

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Turn around, old trout! Turn around and have a listen! Are you going to stand up for your labourers? Are you going to stand up for the people of Central Queensland? Oh—

Mr Rob Mitchell interjecting—

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

The member for McEwen is now warned! The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do not really have a point of order; I just thought he needed to take a breath.

Honourable members interjecting —

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

The Deputy Prime Minister will not seek to instruct me from the front bench. He is warned! The Manager of Opposition Business will need to leave under 94(a).

The member for Watson then left the chamber.

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

I accept your admonishment, Mr Speaker. But the question is whether the leader of the Labor Party is going to stand up for labourers tonight? Is he going to stand up for farmers? Is he actually going to stand up for the steelworkers at Arrium, because he has not stood up for them today? He has left them hanging today. He will not go back to work on Friday for the steelworkers. He will not go back to work on Friday for the coalminers. He does not believe in labourers any more than the Labor Party. (Time expired)