Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development. Has the minister seen any modelling which shows the economic impact of net zero by 2050 for the regions? What does the modelling say about the economic impact on regional Australia?

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

I thank the honourable member for Grayndler for his question. Yes, at this point in time we are working very diligently and very closely through so many aspects of the issue of 2050, because it is incumbent upon us to make sure we look after the people of Albury and the people Singleton and that we do the right thing by the people of Nowra and the people of Queanbeyan. We are working diligently to make sure that we look after people, from Busselton to Mount Isa to Albury-Wodonga. To that purpose, we are going through every aspect of the plan that has been delivered to us and we are making sure that we come up with the right capacity to go back to the people, whether it's in the seat of Cowper or in the seat of Flynn—

Opposition Member:

An opposition member interjecting—

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

Why? What's wrong with that?

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

The Deputy Prime Minister will resume his seat for a sec. The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order?

Hang on. You don't have the call.

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

On direct relevance: the question goes to whether he's seen modelling and to the impact on the regions, not to the table of contents of an atlas.

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

Going to the substantive part of the Manager of Opposition Business's point of order, which wasn't the last part, the question is very specific. The Deputy Prime Minister has been entitled to give some context, which he's done—and he's not even a minute in—but of course that can't be the entirety of his answer. The Deputy Prime Minister.

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

Mr Speaker, I accept your ruling, but I would note how dismissive the Labor Party are of regional towns and how they smirk and snigger whenever you mention—

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

No. I'll say to the Deputy Prime Minister: you need to return to the question or wind up your answer.

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

I note quite clearly that there has been absolutely diligent oversight within the Liberal Party. The Leader of the Liberal Party, the member for Cook—the leader of the coalition and the Prime Minister of Australia—has a mandate from his party room, and I am going through the process of making sure that I respect the views of my party room. The question goes to whether we have seen the results of modelling. Yes, we have. We've seen that in a whole range of reflections on the price of commodities. It's such a tricky question with such an easy answer, isn't it?