Simon Crean does not know where regional Australia is.
“Yesterday, Mr Crean said that “regional Australia was the whole of Australia”. Today, he announced funding for regional health which only covers parts of the country.”
“So, can Mr Crean please tell us where regional Australia is?” asks Senator Barnaby Joyce today.
“Mr Crean needs to come clean on what his portfolio of regional Australia actually covers.”
“Some of Labor’s so-called regional funding goes straight to urban areas like the $480 million dollar upgrade of the Perth Airport and the regional cities program funding being allocated to areas such as the Gold Coast. No-one in their wildest dreams would consider these rural and remote areas.”
“Why are the rural areas important? Let’s get to the point here. Our wealth is built on the products that come from the regional – read rural and remote-areas. Regional Australia accounts for 30% of our population but 50% of our exports.”
“If we do not provide the services and infrastructure needs to these areas, we will put at risk the very mechanism that will get Australia out of its debt mess.”
“People in the regional areas deserve to get an equitable amount of return for their tax dollars.They are tired of this deceitfulLabor Government paying lip service to regional areas, whilechannelling funds to projects in urban areas.”