Steve Hutchins (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

All I am referring to is the fact that there were interjections made about Senator Joyce this afternoon where he was called ‘Windbag’, where he was called ‘Windy’ and where he was called ‘Lord Haw-Haw’. These were all interjections made across the chamber to Senator Joyce. You saw him—he was getting a bit excited. But where is he this afternoon to defend himself? Where is he to defend the constituents of Maranoa? Mr Bruce Scott, the member for Maranoa, proudly states that he has nearly one-half of Queensland as his electorate—yet, under the proposals that Telstra is putting forward, 39 of those payphones are going to be taken out of that electorate.

Here he is—Senator Joyce is back. Maybe he will get an opportunity to speak and defend himself, because all he did was rave this afternoon. Where was Senator Joyce when Telstra made the decision to get rid of these 39 payphones? Two are in his own town of St George. What did he do? What has he said? He has been over there having a rant and a rave, like the windbag that he has been accused of being this afternoon. He has said nothing to defend his constituents. Let me remind you what Senator Joyce said last year when he was asked whether he was going to sell out rural Australia so that he could vote with the government to sell Telstra. Let me remind you what the sell-out merchant said last year:

I’m down for a yes—

that is, to vote for Telstra—

providing that when we see the legislation it provides what has been stated, with real teeth on some of these basic service issues—there can be no watering down of that.

Now Senator Joyce may get an opportunity to respond to allegations he has sold out his constituents. Mr Deputy President, call him up now. Let him have a say. All he has done is be a doormat for Telstra and a doormat for the government. Thirty-nine payphones are going to be taken out of the electorate of Maranoa, where he lives—two in his own town—and what is he doing about it? The doormat that the National Party have become, the great Country Party that they used to be, what are they doing now? They are standing over and letting themselves get tickled on the tummy. That is all, because the minister is not doing anything about this.

What about the people without the payphones? People will not have access to them. What about the mobile service coverage? What about the 12,000 jobs that people like Senator Joyce signed up to get rid of? Where are they going to be in regional and rural Australia? What has he done about it? All we have are these sell-out merchants in the National Party who have not looked after their constituents. We call on the government to stop these cuts. They must be stopped to make sure that regional and rural Australia can continue to operate. (Time expired)

Question agreed to.