Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Deputy Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Hansard source

It is absolutely vital that we invest in regional Australia. Regional Australia is the backbone of the nation. Unlike those opposite, the coalition understands regional communities. We live in them. How many on the other side live in regional communities? Out of 26, are there 12 or 10 or eight or six? There are three people on the other side of this chamber who live in regional communities—

Senator Wong interjecting—

And one of them is not Senator Wong. When we are talking about Labor values—I know I keep raising this—but senator Wong from Adelaide oversaw some of the most shocking examples of waste. She spent $303 million buying water from Twynham. Unfortunately, some of it was general security, which you actually do not get. The first year she only got 20 per cent of the water that she bought. She then went on to spend $34 million buying water from Tandou—supplementary water that only exists in a flood. The Labor Party has no idea about regional Australia. (Time expired)