Ms PANOPOULOS (3:52 PM) —My question is addressed to the Minister for Regional Services, Territories and Local Government. On 12 July 2002 the National Australia Bank will be closing its Violet Town agency in my electorate. What action is the Howard government taking to ensure that those people living in Violet Town and the surrounding region have access to the services and facilities so vital to rural communities in north-east Victoria?

Mr TUCKEY (Minister for Regional Services, Territories and Local Government) —I thank the member for Indi for that question and her demonstration of raising issues in this place which directly affect the people she represents. It is a fact that country people take very seriously and with great concern the closure of any institution within their community, particularly the closure of a bank. As a consequence, the government has taken a number of measures to which I will refer in a moment. In addition, since I have been appointed to this position I have actually had direct consultation with very senior banking officials to see how we can improve the arrangements and give better services to people in every area.

In those discussions, I can inform the member, the National Australia Bank advised me that, consistent with their decisions and their arrangements on recent announced closures, in every case—including Violet Town—they have made arrangements with the local post office agent to commence providing a full service as compared to the existing agency service, which the member clearly indicated in her question. The Violet Town bank was not open continuously; it was only open on the odd days or for odd hours, and in fact the new service will be continuous. But it is not my intention to accept that as the perfect solution. I see all of these bank closures as work in progress to get better outcomes for the people.

Nevertheless, the government implemented the rural transaction centre policy for the purpose of replacing services that were lost in small communities. I thank the Prime Minister for opening one the other day.

The SPEAKER —The member for McMillan is warned!

Mr TUCKEY —In many circumstances I have been in communities that lost a bank and have recovered a banking service, a Centrelink service, a Medicare service and other services they have never had. This can be sophisticated. I am looking forward to coming back into this House in a reasonably short period to announce other measures which will not lead to the reduction of services in these communities but measures which will increase the services, be they financial or be they the sorts of services that our government will continue to provide. We have good members who do not exploit their constituents to make a political point. They get on with the job of helping their constituents.