RURAL Australia is the Abbott Government’s heartland, the Prime Minister emphasised, during his south-west tour on Friday.
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Tony Abbott arrived at Hamilton Airport yesterday afternoon in a Royal Australian Air Force executive plane before heading to a community function at the city’s golf club.
More than 100 community leaders and Order of Australia recipients were invited to the function with Mr Abbott giving the keynote speech.
“Yes, it’s good to be back in Hamilton where I was last in 2013 as part of the annual Pollie Pedal bike ride,” the Prime Minister told the crowd. “This is a great city, it’s a great area.”
“My main job today is to recommit the national government to support our great Australian heartland. A lot of governments talk about the importance small business but this is the first government in living memory that has specifically changed policy to acknowledge and help small business. On the first of July, only a few days ago, the small business tax cuts came into effect.”
Mr Abbott outlined the federal government’s work in the Wannon electorate since coming to power, in particular the south-west integrated cancer centre as advocated by campaign group Peter’s Project.
“Thanks to Dan Tehan and his advocacy, we are spending large amounts of money on infrastructure including the Princes Highway west from Geelong,” he said. “Also, the Western Highway from Ballarat through this area (Wannon), the Great Ocean Road and thanks to Dan’s advocacy, we’re doing what we can to improve cancer services.”
The Prime Minister departed Hamilton for Warrnambool by early evening to attend a Liberal Party function at the city’s racecourse.
Mr Abbott commended the south west’s community leaders and said it was refreshing to meet with volunteers who sacrificed their spare time to help others less fortunate.
“I’m usually pretty buoyed and encouraged when I do events like that one today in Hamilton,” he said.
Mr Abbott is scheduled to leave south-west Victoria by lunchtime today following the official announcement on the federal government’s Agricultural White Paper.
The Coalition leader was the first prime minister to pay an official visit to Warrnambool since Bob Hawke stopped by during the Wannon by-election in May 1983.
