James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

It is a beautiful place. It is a beautiful part of Queensland. It has a very good mayor and a very good council. Whether people live in St George or whether they live in Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne, you should have the same access to Australia—by that, I mean the same access to the modern brilliance that is Australia. But under Labor they say that if you live in the bush you are a second-class citizen and you are a second-rate citizen. If you don't believe me on this, just look at what this bill is going to do to the people who live in south-west Queensland, the people who live in St George and the broader south-west community. This bill is a kick in the guts, and that's why we should oppose it.