Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I too rise to speak on this very important matter of public importance and congratulate Senator Davey for moving this issue to the forefront of our debate. We on this side of the chamber—people like Senator Davey, and I'd throw myself into the category as well—actually come from the bush. We come from regional Australia, and we're here to represent regional Australia. I was born in the small country town of Manjimup in the south of Western Australia, and my family have farmed in Pemberton for over 150 years. That gives us linkage. That gives us knowledge. That gives us ties. That gives us a care for regional Australia, for the bush. The trouble for Labor is that they simply don't have that. Senator Sterle is someone on the other side who I do admire and who does have a genuine affinity for the bush. But I think Senator Sterle looks to his left and looks to his right and says, 'There's nobody else.' In fact, we've heard the minister for agriculture in this place try and defend Labor's linkages to agriculture—