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

Over the years, I've heard magnificent speeches in this place about decentralisation, regional development, lower carbon emissions, cheaper prices in our capital cities, better access to ports for farms and miners, lower use of fossil fuel, jobs for Aboriginal people, a lower death toll on the Newell Highway and support for the Australian steel industry. There is one project that does all of those things: the Inland Rail project. But, for the last two years, there has been no activity north of Narromine. The farmers are wondering whether they should be negotiating to sell their land—

Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Hasluck!

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

Will the one-term member on the other side be quiet for a bit?

Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Member for Parkes, I did in fact ask the member for Hasluck to stop her interjections. And I'm warning you!

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

The Prime Minister championed this project back when he was a minister in the Gillard-Rudd government. At the moment there, there's no-one. Neither Minister King nor the Prime Minister have been to that area to explain anything to those communities, farmers and businesses that are having to sell their equipment to make ends meet.

Prime Minister, don't send another gormless senator to go to those towns and patronise those people about what's going on. Hop on the jet—there are plenty of places to land at Narromine, Narrabri and Moree—and talk to the people and explain to them what's happened with this project.