Forget 'jobs for the boys' in politics, its jobs for the bush, if the reaction from Coalition MPs on Wednesday was anything to go by. Prime Minister Scott Morrison highlighted that a nationwide jobs 1.3 million jobs push would include 450,000 for regional Australia.
Mr Morrison said regionally-based voters should re-elect the Coalition because his government was focussed on regional Australia economically prospering.
"Regional Australia can trust the Coalition to deliver on an economic plan for the regions because creating opportunities - city and country - is part of our DNA.
"We understand that regional Australia is the lifeblood of our country - it's home to one in three Australians, accounts for almost a third of our national economy and a similar share of small businesses."
Liberal member for Farrer in south-western NSW and environment minister Sussan Ley promised 'more to come':
“Jobs in regional Australia don’t just happen by accident, you need projects, you need plans, you need investment and today’s announcement means we can deliver even more for these regional areas.”
“I’ve been able to provide over half a billion dollars in funding since 2019 and there’s more to come.”
Nationals MP Dr Anne Webster, who represents north-western Victoria’s Mallee region, doubled down on the sentiments expressed by the Prime Minister on Wednesday in a statement issued exclusively to FlowNews24. Webster offered assurances that the Federal Government will continue to work closely with regional centres to chart future upward trajectories for regional economies.
“The Nationals in Government are doing what they do best – prioritising regional Australians. That is why we are creating jobs in regional areas to boost growth outside of our capital cities.”
“Our economic plan is backing our regions to grow even more.”
“Here in Mallee, through the $2 billion Regional Accelerator Program, the Federal Government will work closely with regional centres, like Mildura, to bring forward their proposals for catalytic region-shaping investments that will strengthen and grow their local economies, create high-skilled, well-paid jobs and advance their strategic advantages.”
“Yesterday, in Mildura I announced the Murray River Adventure Trail which will attract 26-30 jobs to the region. Additionally, the delivery of Murtoa Child Care, also announced yesterday, will create jobs for the Dunmunkle community.”
The United Australia Party candidate for Mallee, Swan Hill businessman and councillor Stuart King, was sceptical that north west Victoria would see the benefits of the Morrison pledge:
"Let's face it, regional Australia is a very big place, but typically we've seen in the past, when money or programs are announced for regional Australia, for some reason it doesn't seem to flow into Mallee."
"Now, whether that's just because it's a safe seat, I don't know, or whether they just genuinely don't care about north-west Victoria."
Liberal MP Rowan Ramsey, who represents Grey and covers the majority of rural western South Australia, also weighed in on the Prime Minister’s latest election pledge for Australia’s regional interests:
“This is building on our track record; since we came into government in 2013 there are 1.9 million more jobs in Australia now then what there were then.”
“It’s been a spectacular result and of course we’ve got that 4 per cent unemployment, so we’re targeting another 1.3 million jobs over the next five years and we think the split on that will end up that 450,000 jobs into regional areas.”
“This is where a lot of the potential for the growth of our economy comes from, our regions, where we’ve got a whole lot of industries that are chasing at the bit to grow and we will help them grow, particularly in modern manufacturing – there’s some big opals there.”
Hear the full interview with Rowan Ramsey MP on the Flow podcast player below:
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