Mark Coulton (Parkes, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources. Will the Deputy Prime Minister outline how the coalition government is securing the future of agricultural production across the nation, including in my electorate of Parkes? Is he aware of any threats to the ongoing viability of hardworking Australian businesses and families?

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 and note the incredible success that such things as the agricultural white paper have had and note all the construction of new grain storage facilities happening through his electorate. As he's always said, the 'new shiny sheds' are going up because we on the coalition side believe in people preparing for drought. We also believe in the Inland Rail. We've put money on the table for the Inland Rail, one of the greatest pieces of infrastructure in our nation, showing a real difference in vision between ourselves and Labor and the Greens, who have really no vision for inland Australia. You could see that in the recent New England election where the Leader of the Opposition never even bothered turning up—not that he should have, because he's not very popular up there.

It's also incredibly important that we stand behind such things as the export of our products and our free trade agreements with especially the Chinese market. Of course, the Labor Party has a great knowledge of the Chinese market, probably none better than Senator Sam Dastyari. He has a spectacular knowledge of the Chinese market. In fact, one could say that he's very valuable in the information that he can deliver! In fact, talking about threats, I think one of the greatest threats is a nation that doesn't protect its security. One of the greatest threats to people protecting their security is when a member of the opposition decides to try to deliver the secrets of our nation to another nation. What's actually disgusting is when—and the Leader of the Opposition can have look at this—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

He's turning his back. He's always turning his back on the Australian people who—

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

The Deputy Prime Minister will resume his seat. Members will cease interjecting. Manager of Opposition Business, on a point of order?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business (House)) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I will just refer you to page 517 of Practice. I know you're familiar with the ruling of Speaker Aston that's referred to there when dealing with certain allegations generally of this particular nature, and I ask that it be withdrawn.

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

What allegations?

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

The Deputy Prime Minister will cease interjecting. I thank the Manager of Opposition Business for his question. Obviously I have been listening very closely, and I have been reflecting on past debates. There is a fine line in all of this. Without seeking to make an example of anyone, the member for Fairfax crossed it just before question time with the use of a specific term. I'm listening very carefully to the Deputy Prime Minister. I don't think he's crossed the line yet and I don't want him to, but I just urge him to be familiar with reflections on members.

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

I might also note that probably one of the greatest threats to regional Australia would be a Labor government. One of the greatest prospects of that is if we don't get the proper vote in Bennelong. If we don't get the votes to support John Alexander, what we are going to get is the Labor Party's policy on dams, taking money away from dams. We are going to get the Labor Party's policy on the Inland Rail. They don't believe in the Inland Rail—

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

The Deputy Prime Minister will resume his seat. The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order, I predict.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business (House)) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, it's on a point of order. I'm not sure how you can be directly relevant to a question about agriculture when you're talking about Bennelong—there's limited farmland.

Government members interjecting—

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

The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. Members on my right will cease interjecting. I'm prepared to give the Deputy Prime Minister—

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The people of Bennelong eat food. Farmers produce food. The people of Bennelong need farmers.

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

The Minister for Small Business is warned. The Deputy Prime Minister has the call.

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

As we know, it is Labor Party policies which are the greatest threat, and we have to understand that one of the greatest things the Australian people can do with any government is to trust them. And, unfortunately, we can't trust the opposition, which allows the member for Batman to vote when he actually shouldn't be here and which allows Senator Gallagher to vote when she shouldn't actually be here. We've got the member for Longman up there—the member for Longman is still a British citizen.

Remember that the Leader of the Opposition has got his back turned to you in Bennelong. He's got his back turned to you, because he doesn't believe you. He's a very untrustworthy, shifty character—this man with his back turned to you. It is absolutely important that we don't get the same party that gave us Tripodi, that gave us Macdonald, that gave us Dastyari, and that is now about to give us Keneally in the seat of Bennelong. We know the Australian people can send the Labor Party a message and keep you there—oh, here he is! (Time expired)