Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience) Share this | Hansard source

This budget sees the largest investment in rural and regional Australia in our nation's history, and it is the Liberal and National government of this generation that has delivered it. The Leader of the Opposition could hardly even bring himself to mention the word 'regions' in his National Press Club address recently. Those opposite do not have a plan or the policy initiatives to actually drive economic growth in the regions.

We're seeing a transformation of population shift post COVID. A lot more Australians are actually recognising that to live in a community where you know your neighbour, you can have a great local job and a prosperous future is to live out with rural and regional Australians. But it's not going to be those opposite that come to the table with any plan to develop that future. I'm going to be keenly interested in seeing what Mr Albanese delivers tomorrow night and how he focuses on the economic growth opportunities in rural and regional areas, but we know it's only our side of government that has the regions' backs. (Time expired)