Mr NEVILLE (9:57 AM) —Queenslanders should never forget the Leader of the Opposition’s role in the former Goss government and that government’s treatment of people in regional areas. Let’s look at the CV of the man who aspires to lead this country and his track record in delivering services for regional areas. As chief of staff to the then Queensland Premier and director general of the cabinet office, he presided over the closure of 13 train lines and 46 court houses. He pulled more than 600 DPI officers out of rural areas and cut the DPI budget by 20 per cent. He failed to build strategic dams, including the Wolffdene dam, and actually boasted about closing that at the time. On his watch, country schools were closed, regional police stations were shut and—would you believe, Mr Deputy Speaker—regional councils were forcibly amalgamated.

A certain Kevin Rudd was the architect of that regime, so why would anyone believe that he would act any differently if given the reins of federal power? On the point of forced amalgamations I am incredulous that the Leader of the Opposition would trot around Queensland mouthing platitudes like, ‘I disagree with the way this is being done,’ and, ‘It’s a matter for Mr Beattie and the Queensland government.’ I thought democracy was a bit more fundamental than that and that you would speak from state and federal levels if you saw it being ravished. Where is his spine? Where are the true-blue country roots he has talked up in his advertising?

Perhaps the clearest indication of his concern for regional communities was when he went to air on ABC Wide Bay. He and the shadow environment minister were asked what their opinion was about the despised Traveston Crossing dam. First the shadow minister asked about ‘the dam that they want to build outside of Brisbane’. His leader then jumped in to say, ‘We need to get ourselves properly briefed by the state government on arguments in support of this particular proposal, and when we’ve done that we’ll come back to you.’ What rubbish! For heaven’s sake, the public feeling about this project was well known. It is red-hot anti dam, so why would these two allegedly savvy politicians accept the word of the Brisbane-centric state government rather than listen to the concerns of the actual residents of the Gympie area? By the way, fellas, we are still waiting for you to come back with your opinion and tell us what you really do think about this dam. When it gets down to the final analysis, silence can never be an option for a person—or, for that matter, a party—that seeks to lead this nation.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Hon. IR Causley)—Order! In accordance with standing order 193, the time for members’ statements has concluded.