Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am entitled to take interjections from across the chamber, even though those interjections may be disorderly. But thank you for your protection, Acting Deputy President; I appreciate it. We're being extremely reason with this process, but we will be persistent because the fairness of outcomes for farmers, fishers and Indigenous Australians is important to us. If it's not important to other side that's their problem—that's their business—but farmers don't come to Canberra for no reason. They don't fly from Cairns to Brisbane which, as I said, is further from Brisbane than Melbourne is. It's a long way. It's a big effort for them to make to come and express their concerns, as they did when they came to Brisbane a week or so ago.

It's not unreasonable that a very reasonable terms of reference to ensure fairness in process and compensation for farmers, fishers and Indigenous Australians should be properly considered by this place. So we will continue to fight for this. We know we are asking reasonable questions. These are not unreasonable terms of reference. It would be wonderful—and I'm sure that farmers around this country and fishers and, for that matter, Indigenous Australians would appreciate the opportunity to have their say in this process so that we can ensure that the process of the rollout of the national grid and expansion of the national grid and all of the other infrastructure that goes with it is done on a fair and reasonable basis with fair and reasonable compensation and some equality of outcomes, as well, which is not what is happening right now.

These are not unreasonable terms of reference. It's not an unreasonable inquiry. We will continue to be persistent in bringing this to the chamber because we think it is fair and reasonable do so.