Hollie Hughes (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

As we all know, the devastating events over summer have had a catastrophic impact on regional Australia. If ever there was a time for the entire nation to rise as one and help each other, it is now, and it will be for some time to come. Before the bushfires arrived to take lives, destroy homes and ruin livelihoods, regional Australia was already suffering under the crushing weight of what seemed to be a never-ending drought. For so long, the downpours that we've witnessed in recent days were merely figments of tortured imaginations as farmers and land managers waited, hoped and prayed for year after dusty year. Of course, as we've come to expect in this often harsh land, Mother Nature delivered on those prayers but not without packing a sickening punch. Regional Australians have been suddenly left to deal with flash flooding, the latest insult added to so much injury.

The extent to which Australians have opened their hearts and wallets to help those directly impacted by the bushfires proves beyond any doubt that we are a compassionate nation, quick to sympathise and empathise with those plunged into despair, loss and ongoing hardship. It's that belief in the intrinsic generosity of Australians that emboldened me to launch the Go Country for Christmas campaign last year. First, it was Go Country for Christmas, an appeal to encourage Australians to support regional businesses as they struggled to overcome the horrible economic impacts of the drought. The faith that Australians would rally around each other was reinforced by the way in which Go Country was embraced sincerely as a bipartisan initiative. For all our political differences, we share the need to think outside the compact worlds of metropolitan areas and reassure the 10 million regional Australians that they will never be forgotten. I have been delighted and indeed inspired by the support of 42 colleagues across the political spectrum. A gentleman got in touch recently via Twitter to comment on the increased volume of packages that had gone through Australia Post. One business had an order of 40 jars of mayonnaise in one go.

But one message that I received just before Christmas was particularly humbling—to know that we had literally helped keep the doors of a business open. Louisa Morris runs a small sole trading business located in Wahgunyah in north-east Victoria, manufacturing preserves and cakes. She uses ingredients that are available locally, including those from other Go Country registered businesses, buying direct from the grower or manufacturer. This is what she said:

I grew up on an irrigation property between Berrigan & Tocumwal NSW. I'm a single parent to three children, two of whom are on the autism spectrum. What the campaign has meant for my business has been great sales, compared to this time last year and the confidence with this cash flow to keep trading into 2020. I'm very grateful for the wonderful support that the Australian public and a few overseas customers as well, have given me and my family.

She continued:

My business was in the process of winding up after 22 years of trading. The sales from this campaign have been amazing for my little business. I have the confidence to keep trading.

It's still not to late support small businesses in rural Australia. These businesses are run by families who are seeing tougher times than most, and choosing to do business with them can make the world of difference to that small business and to that family.

It is beholden upon us all to never forget that, long after the fires have been extinguished and the floodwaters have subsided, the suffering will continue. It's not just primary producers who need our support. The coastal regions, many of which depend on tourism as a central plank of their economies, will also need all the help that we can muster. After we saw thousands of holidaying families flee the New South Wales and Victorian coasts over New Year, it would warm many hearts to see them head back for Easter, next Christmas and beyond. From the surf to the Snowy Mountains and all the valleys and plains in between, businesses will be bleeding, and we can all join together in stemming the flow. This would give local businesses the boost they so desperately need to generate hope and momentum for their recovery.

But there's help that we can provide every day. By buying Australian at the supermarket, whether it's fish, milk or dairy, we can all make a difference. If you're a tradie looking for a new twin cab, why not head to Bathurst, Wagga or Tamworth, where I'm sure the local dealerships will be ready to do you a great deal? The next time you're stocking the cellar, remember that Australian wines are considered to be amongst the finest in the world. Think of Mudgee, Senator O'Farrell's Clare Valley Riesling, the Hunter, the Yarra or Margaret River. Think of the difference you'll be making to so many lives.

Go Country began as a way to help businesses by purchasing Christmas presents from retailers outside the cities, but I'm proud to announce that Go Country is here to stay, 24/7, every day. It's with great pride that I announce we're about to launch a new website, Go Country for Anything. With the same support enjoyed by Go Country for Christmas, we can all go to the next level.

It's time to start having a closer look at all our labels, and to remind ourselves of the debt we all owe to decades of thankless toil by regional Australians who built the vertebrae for the backbone of this nation's economy. We've got to remember that cheaper is not always best and remind ourselves to save in the long term by banking on the enduring quality of Australian products. Regional businesses are our quiet achievers, but their achievements have been monumental in making Australia great. Now, more than ever, is the time to show our deep gratitude and to keep expressing it as regional Australians try to get back on their feet.

As a young mother I worked with my family to manage farms in Moree, and the day-to-day suffering of those stricken by the drought will have a profound and lifelong impact on me. I've seen the pain and I've felt the pain. I've seen the tears and shed my own. My own family was living and breathing it, choking on the same red dust. In recent days, plenty of friends have been breathless in telling me that their youngest children are seeing grass for the first time, and the spectacle of the creek running for the first time in a decade is a sight to rival Sydney Harbour itself for its beauty. Such has been the relief, but any veterans of the land will have that respite instantly tempered by the real and thoroughly justifiable fear of the next challenge. That's why we all have a role to play in helping to provide the peace of mind that has eluded our country cousins for so long.

Apart from the regeneration of the bush that will follow the fires, the entire nation can renew its resolve to help one another. Go Country strikes from the heart of our fabled national spirit, and it gives me great pride to know that everyone in this parliament will promote this campaign whenever and wherever they can.