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

My question is also to the Prime Minister. Why is it the proposed drought fund will not deliver a cent until at least next July?

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question on the Future Drought Fund, a fund that the Labor Party are opposed to. They opposed it in the last parliament. We put it in the budget. We took it to the Australian people. The Australian people returned the government to government to ensure that we could get on with the job of supporting our farmers through one of the toughest droughts that this country has ever seen. This government has delivered some $7 billion worth of support to our farmers and our rural communities all around the country. Most recently that has included more than $110 million—

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

The member for Hunter on a point of order?

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

Obviously it is on relevance, Mr Speaker. The question was very tight. I asked the Prime Minister: why is it the proposed drought fund will not deliver one cent to farmers until at least July next year?

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

Yes, the question was very specific. The Prime Minister is entitled to a preamble on the subject, which I'm sure he's almost finished. He is only about 40 seconds into the answer. I'll also point out to those on my left that, even when a question is very specific, the Practice makes clear you can't demand a one-word or two-word answer. The Prime Minister is entitled to a preamble. He's been doing that.

Mr Brian Mitchell interjecting—

I don't need the help of the member for Lyons. The Prime Minister is entitled to do that. He's been strictly on the policy topic, but I'm sure that he'll be bringing his preamble to a conclusion soon.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The point I'm making is that the government has been acting each and every day on the issue of supporting rural communities in relation to the drought, whether it's been the immediate assistance that has been required to support communities, through the million dollar payments to each of the shires and councils around the country, or whether it has been to invest in the water infrastructure projects which build resilience. We are investing in those projects right now, and the Future Drought Fund will enable us to continue to invest in those drought resilience projects into the future. We are funding those drought resilience projects right now out of the budget, and from 1 July next year we will be drawing down $100 million out of a fund that will increase in value to $5 billion and provide permanent funding support for drought resilience projects in this country. So I have a simple question to put to those opposite: why won't you support farmers going through the drought? How on earth can the Leader of the Opposition—

Honourable members interjecting—

I will call him the Leader of the Opposition because I'm yet to find something that he doesn't oppose. He opposed us on tax relief for Australians, he opposed us on security measures, and now they oppose us on the drought fund. (Time expired)