Parliamentary Speeches
THE NATIONALS ELECTION CANDIDATES ( 23/11/2006)
Mr DONALD PAGE (Ballina—Deputy Leader of The Nationals) [4.38 p.m.]: First I note that the valedictory speech given by the honourable member for Monaro was largely a speech in support of The Nationals. His motion suggests that we are so strong and so capable and the people have so much confidence in us that we should run a candidate in every seat. His supporting The Nationals' right to run in every seat clearly indicates that he has confidence in The Nationals' ability to represent country areas. I thank him for that concession, and I thank him for choosing his valedictory speech to make that significant point.
Having said that, however, this motion is symptomatic of a government in paralysis, a government in denial, a government that does not want to deal with the real issues. To be dealing with this issue today, the last sitting day prior the next State election, says a lot about the Government's lack of capacity to address the real issues. Government members simply try to play politics and score cheap political points.
I amend the motion by adding the words:
and to have a Coalition Government to address the failings of this tired Labor Government.
The motion as amended would read:
That this House supports the right of the New South Wales National Party to run a candidate in every seat for the upcoming State election and to have a Coalition Government to address the failings of this tired Labor Government.
The motion raises a substantive issue, that is, the right of a political party to stand in any seat. If the Independents vote against the motion, they will vote against democracy. They will vote against the right of The Nationals to stand in every seat in New South Wales. We support the principle that our party should be able to stand in every seat. Indeed, anyone can stand in any seat. That is a democratic right that should be upheld. However, in New South Wales The Nationals are in coalition with the Liberal Party. We are determined to get rid of the Labor Government, and our best chance to get rid of this tired Labor Government is through our coalition arrangement. The Nationals represent and promote the interests of country areas. We are not interested in running in metropolitan seats; that is the job of our Coalition colleagues, the Liberal Party. It is their job to run in city seats; it is our job to run in and win country seats. Through our coalition agreement we have the best chance of making a change in government, which the people of New South Wales sorely want.
The issue is that we have the right to stand but we choose to be in coalition with the Liberal Party. Liberal Party candidates essentially run in the city seats and we essentially run in the country seats. That is our best chance of winning government. The hypocrisy of Country Labor knows no bounds. The honourable member for Murray-Darling, who is present in the Chamber, said in the House on another occasion that Labor had done a deal with the Independents so the Independents can be promoted in seats that Labor cannot win. He let the cat out of the bag when he referred to the Dubbo election that was held a couple of years ago. He said:
Who had the best tactics? Labor did not stand a candidate because it knew it could not win the seat.
We chose not to stand a candidate in Dubbo, and the tactic worked.
That statement shows that the Labor Party has done a deal with the Independents that if they run they run dead or they do not run at all. The consequence is that Country Labor has forsaken country people. I will detail how it has forsaken country people. In the seat of Northern Tablelands the Labor vote in 1999 was 9.17 per cent and in 2003 it dropped to 4.74 per cent. In Port Macquarie the Labor vote in 1999 was 26.9 per cent and in 2003 it dropped to 8.4 per cent.
Mr Neville Newell: What was The Nationals' vote?
Mr DONALD PAGE: A lot higher than that. In Tamworth the Labor vote in 1999 was 12 per cent and in 2003 it dropped to 11 per cent. In Dubbo the Labor vote in 1999 was 20 per cent and in 2003 it dropped 15 per cent. The average drop for all those seats was from 17 per cent down to 7.2 per cent.
Mr DONALD PAGE: Labor has forsaken country residents. It has done a deal with the Independents. It is either funding them or they are running dead. They put up a candidate and then support the Independents. The honourable member for Murray-Darling claimed credit in this House for having helped the outcome of the Dubbo election. The Labor members do not brag in the House about what they are doing for country residents. Their support in country areas is in decline, as I have just outlined, and their branch network recognises that fact. They are going backwards in country areas. Country Labor should not show hypocrisy about who stands up for country people. The Nationals stand up for country people, as we always have, going back to the 1920s. We have not always been in coalition with the Liberals. We have done deals with other parties as well because we are a strong, independent party, and we always will be. Let us not hear any more of this nonsense about The Nationals not being an independent party. We are an independent party; we always have been and we will continue to be.
The Nationals will run in all the seats in country areas that we need to win government. In the Tweed our candidate is Jeff Provest, and he is supported by the Liberals. He is campaigning very strongly and will be the next member for Tweed. If the honourable member for Tweed participates in this debate, it will be his valedictory speech. In Dubbo, councillor Greg Matthews is a very strong candidate for The Nationals and is campaigning well in that electorate. In the Murray-Darling our candidate is John Williams. The honourable member for Murray-Darling must be scared because John Williams is a very popular person, not only in Broken Hill but all along the Murray Valley. He has the honourable member for Murray-Darling worried.
David Madew, our candidate in Monaro, is doing fantastic work. The honourable member for Monaro is worried. That is why he has moved this stupid motion. He is in panic mode. David Madew has been living in the electorate three times longer than the honourable member for Monaro has. He is better known and his family is well known, yet the honourable member for Monaro tries to paint him as an outsider. David Madew is a man of the people and he will be part of the next Coalition government. As the honourable member for Monaro knows, Monaro has always gone with the government. Bye bye, Mr Whan, you will be out of here.
It is interesting that the honourable member for Monaro has chosen as the topic of his valedictory speech The Nationals' right to stand in seats across the country. He knows we are a very strong party. In Port Macquarie our candidate is Leslie Williams, and in Tamworth Kevin Anderson. Kevin Anderson is a strong candidate who will win the seat of Tamworth. Again The Nationals are standing up for regional areas. In the Northern Tablelands we have Phillip Kelly. He has a big task ahead of him, but he is determined and is making the voice of The Nationals heard. That is significant. Although it is a big ask, he is out there campaigning hard and he is fair dinkum. He should be given credit for his efforts, as should all our candidates.
This petty, stupid motion is a waste of time. It is designed to obtain some political advantage. In fact, the Government has not got any advantage out of it at all. My amendment makes it plain that this State is in need of a change of government. Our health system is in crisis and our infrastructure is in decline. There has been a lack of investment in infrastructure over 12 years. Our economy is bumping along the bottom of all State economies in Australia. We should be the powerhouse of the country, but we are one of the worst-performing States. We have very low growth, and with two negative growth periods we are technically in recession. The State has serious problems with country town water and sewerage. The Government closed down the Casino to Murwillumbah rail line and four branch lines in country areas. The Pacific Highway project of a dual carriageway from Hexham to the Queensland border is not progressing fast enough. Blackouts will occur this summer. A blackout occurred in Parliament House yesterday afternoon, and it is symptomatic of what is to come. There is a backlog in education and a water crisis—and they move a stupid motion.
