Prime Minister Scott Morrison dipped his toe in the electorate of Indi on Tuesday — landing in Wodonga before speaking at a CWA hall across the river in Albury.
He touched on several key election promises including:
●A $15.5 billion development of five regional study hubs — including the one cited for Wangaratta.
●$2 million for the Rural Inspire and Rural Health Ambassador program.
●Implementing new laws to protect farmers against illegal activist trespassing.
●A plan to address mobile black-spots across 1 million Sq Kms by 2025.
●$550 million for rural and regional healthcare — Allowing for 3000 extra doctors and 3000 extra nurses and allied health professionals in rural areas during the next decade.
●$45 million for 13 new regional cancer centres.
●$62.2 million in the next five years to improve pathways for Doctors to practice in rural areas.
●$26.9 million additional support for drought and fire affected areas in regional Australia to access additional mental health support.
‘‘When rural and regional Australia is strong, so is Australia. When rural and regional Australia is not strong, then Australia will not be strong,’’ Mr Morrison said.
‘‘That is why I have been so pleased... to be out in rural and regional Australia.
‘‘It gives you that opportunity to connect into that... resilience, that aspiration, and that community.’’
Mr Morrison spoke in-depth about drought and flood assistance and what the government has done, and will do if re-elected, to support affected communities.
He did, however, fail to speak about the causes of drought and flood and ways climate inaction is increasing the severity and regularity of these across Australia — nor how to address these issues.
The best reaction he received from the audience was when he touched on the polarising issue of illegal farm trespass.
‘‘We’ve seen those horrendous protests, those invasions of people’s homes. We’ve had people basically storming farms from ignorance, from a position of intolerance, from a lack of understanding,’’ Mr Morrison said.
‘‘One of the first bills we will put to parliament if re-elected is the bill that will criminalise that activity that is (inciting) that level of violence and invasion of people’s properties.
‘‘And we’ll do it in the first week we’re elected.’’
He also went into detail about how the coalition has managed the economy and how it will continue to manage the economy if re-elected.
‘‘To invest in theses services (which we are putting money into) you’ve got to have a strong economy,’’ Mr Morrison said.
‘‘We’ve got the budget going back into surplus for the first time in 12 years and we’ve done that by managing money.
‘‘By ensuring we keep our spending under control (and) that we keep our tax under control... our economy can continue to grow.’’
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