Federal Nationals turn 90
21st January, 2010
The Federal Nationals turn 90 tomorrow (22 January). The Nationals remain as important to the political process as ever with the Rudd Labor Government waging economic war on the regions.Since 11 members joined together to form an independent political party in 1920, The Nationals have maintained nine decades of unbroken representation in the Federal Parliament.
In fact, since Federation no party has been in government as long as The Nationals, said Federal Leader Warren Truss.
“We’ve stood up for regional Australians for 90 years and we’re still doing so,” Mr Truss said. “Ours is the only party 100 percent dedicated to advancing regional Australia and those who live and work in regional communities.
“The Nationals have a long list of achievements for the people we represent. Sometimes we have even been criticised for delivering too much to the regions. Our stand-out achievement has been to focus everyone else on the need to pay far greater attention to the development of regional Australia.
http://www.nationals.org.au/AboutTheNationals/OurAchievements.aspx
“There is plenty more to do and The Nationals have big plans for the future. The Nationals’ goal in the years ahead is to unlock regional Australia’s potential and to ensure regional Australians are afforded the same opportunities and services as those who live in the cities.
“A strong regional Australia is critical to the future of our nation. There is growing global demand for our food and fibre. There is growing urban call on the regions’ natural resources and water. Most of Australia’s energy and environmental solutions are in the regions. The tourism industry’s potential is vast. Technology, communications and all the lifestyle benefits that the regions have to offer are going to make living, working and doing business in the regions more attractive.
“But none of this will just happen. Regional Australia will continue to need a strong voice in Parliament to break down the barriers to regional Australia’s development, to force governments to prioritise beyond the city limits and to ensure all Australians get a fair go – no matter what part of our great nation they live in. That’s what today’s Nationals are doing.
“This will be a huge year for The Nationals. We fought off the Rudd Government’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme before Christmas, but like a zombie it will rise again in 2010. This will in fact be a Year of Tax, with the Henry Tax Review coming on top of the “tax on everything”.
“This focus on increasing tax under Labor provides an unwelcome contrast to the tax cuts which occurred under the former Coalition government.
“But this is what happens when you have a Prime Minister like Kevin Rudd who has run up $120 billion in debt after a little more than two years in the job. Somebody has to pay – and regional Australians will be in the firing line again,” Mr Truss said.
