Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Regional Services) Share this | Hansard source

Our decentralisation agenda has seen more than 1,200 Australian government jobs moved to the regions since we came into government. These include regional jobs in the Australian Maritime Safety Organisation which, rightly, sought to be relocated to Coffs Harbour because, as the CEO said at the time, 'We're mariners; we like to wake up with the smell of salt in the air.' So it not only makes sense to grow regional economies by shifting government jobs, it makes policy sense, as those people are actually located in the communities that are affected by the decisions that they make. It also ensures that we have career pathways in regional Australia, for safe, profitable and secure regional economies. And, Senator Williams, just so you know how New South Wales has benefited, we've been able to shift the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet's Indigenous Affairs Group Regional Network office, we've shifted the— (Time expired)