And we must end pork barrelling. It is another critical pillar to restoring public trust in government, and in democracy.

Today I rise to celebrate the generosity and resilience of our regional communities. Recently the Wangaratta and District Men’s Shed in my electorate of Indi fell afoul of an online scam, robbing them of $25,000.

In every Australian household, and especially in country areas, we’re relying on the internet more than ever. It is an essential service.

Until we see that funding flow to the regions, I will not be backing down on my calls and I say to you, don’t back down on yours.

I want to see young regional Australians given the same opportunities as those young people in the cities.

There are major opportunities this government must take up to empower regional communities to play a role in the energy transition and to truly benefit. Let this be a gold rush for rural and regional Australia.

The evidence both across regional Australia and in Indi is clear. That’s why as an Independent I’m happy to support these bills that will make things a little easier.

One-in-100-year events are certainly not one in 100 years anymore. This is such a critical report to build resilience in these changing times, and we must not let this report sit on the shelf and gather dust. This must result in action that addresses the problems that we are driving over every single day.

My question is to the Prime Minister. What new action will you now take to address cost-of-living pressures for these people?

Fixing the housing crisis will take the coordination of multiple levels of government, industry and community groups. But inaction isn’t an option, because regional Australians, who feel they will never have a stable place to live, deserve more.