McGowan decentralisation inquiry backed by Coalition

An inquiry is already been held by the Senate’s Finance and Public Administration References Committee that’s heavily scrutinising the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority’s (APVMA) relocation from Canberra to Armidale in Barnaby Joyce’s New England electorate.

Ms McGowan welcomed the government’s agreement to establish a new select committee inquiry on regional development and decentralisation that she first called for on May 22 and is expected to be voted on today, in the House of Representatives.

“As an independent voice from regional Australia I have appreciated the opportunity to put the case fearlessly and deliver effective action - I am grateful the government has listened,” she said.

The inquiry will investigate and report on best practice approaches to regional development, examine decentralisation of Commonwealth entities as a mechanism to increase growth and prosperity in regional areas and look at ways to encourage greater corporate decentralisation.

Ms McGowan said she welcomed the Prime Minister’s agreement that issues around decentralisation need to be examined properly.

She said decentralisation had “incredible potential” to deliver growth and prosperity in the regions if done properly.

“This is a huge win for regional policy and an opportunity to develop a plan towards more cohesive, vibrant, inclusive regions,” she said.

“What we want to see at the end of this is a process that embeds regional Australia into policy making and recognises the regions’ individual strengths and circumstances.

“Listening to the broad range of expertise in regional communities, and giving them a voice in decision making is the best way – the Indi way.

“Through this process the people of Indi have been consistently able to put the case about the factors on which successful decentralisation will rely: an effective NBN rollout, mobile phone coverage, transport connectivity, strategic regional development and infrastructure investment, and inclusive education and employment policy.”

Queensland LNP MP John McVeigh has been appointed Chair of the committee conducting the inquiry.

The committee will consist of 10 members - six to be nominated by the government Whip or Whips, three nominated by the Opposition Whip or Whips and one non-aligned Member.

Mr Joyce said the Senate’s inquiry into decentralisation was “stacked” by the Labor party and now there was an opportunity to have a genuine inquiry and in his discussions with the Prime Minister, the Nationals supported.

The inquiry will aim to identify the characteristics of entities that would be suited to decentralisation without impacting on the ability to perform their functions.

Mr Joyce said the only hearing the Senate inquiry held was in Townsville, which he welcomed but hoped the new inquiry would visit other regions of Australia and show people “the benefits of decentralisation” like moving agencies like the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation to Wagga Wagga in the NSW Riverina region.

He said the Nationals were “proud” of their work on decentralisation including moving parts of the Murray Darling Basin Authority from Canberra to Wodonga in regional Victoria.

Mr Joyce said the Nationals thought it was “vitally important” to continue to show people the importance of decentralisation, through the new inquiry.

He said the Nationals believed in decentralisation to the point where it was now setting up the new Regional Investment Corporation, which will be capitalised to $4 billion, at Orange, in regional NSW, to set up a rural financial trading region with vision like the Americans applied when making Chicago a ”great” grain and commodity trading hub.

Mr Joyce said the new inquiry would also provide the opportunity for more Nationals MPs to sit on the Committee like Victorian Damian Drum and David Littleproud from regional Queensland.

Shadow Agriculture and Regional Australia Minister Joel Fitzgibbon has been persistent in criticising Mr Joyce for the APVMA relocation, describing it as a “blatant” pork barrel and highlighting its impact on the national farm chemical regulator’s capacity to approve products to market due to the loss of expert regulatory scientists, during the transition from Canberra to Armidale.

Today, he said the new inquiry into decentralisation was a “Clayton’s inquiry”.

“It’s a squib - it’s an inquiry you have when you’re not having an inquiry,” he said.

“Independent Cathy McGowan and I have been calling for a Joint Select Committee into decentralisation so we can properly examine both what the government has already done and where, if possible, we could secure some benefits from decentralisation.

“But the government won’t have a joint committee, it wants a House of Representatives Committee where it has the numbers and can totally control the inquiry and its recommendation and of course it can protect Barnaby Joyce from the expected attacks which will be coming in on him as a result of his various pork barrelling and boondoggle exercises.

“I call upon the Government to join with us and have a real inquiry- a Joint Select Inquiry.

“They should establish a Joint Select Committee and let Senators and Members both properly scrutinise the government’s actions so far their intentions and of course have to have a proper look at what decentralisation may be able to do in rural an regional Australia.”

But Shadow Minister for Regional Services, Stephen Jones gave Labor’s support to the new inquiry and welcomed its broader focus on regional development.

“While Labor’s preference would have been for a Joint Parliamentary Committee, we are committed to achieving a thorough examination of this policy and developing some solid recommendations,” he said.

“We hope there will be some lessons learned for the Turnbull Government through this Committee process about how to achieve some sensible policy coherence for the regions.

“Shifting the APVMA to Armidale has proven that decentralisation doesn’t come without a cost – in that case, at least $130,000 per employee and the loss of experience and skills.

“It is a textbook example of how not to do decentralisation so developing an evidence-based approach can only be of benefit to decision makers.”