Now that Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce's party holds the seat of Murray, he says can do more for SPC Ardmona. When the Coalition rejected the processor's bid for assistance in 2014, Mr Joyce said it was up to the Liberal Party to fight for SPC because it was in a Liberal electorate, reports abc.net.au.
Mr Joyce said that has changed now that the new local member, Damian Drum, is a National MP with a direct line to the Deputy PM.
This week, Mr Joyce said that having a National MP representing the area at a federal level meant the region's issues were more visible.
"It's incredibly handy having [Mr Drum] in my party room, because I've got a complete line of sight to the issues that are going on here.
"He might be new in federal politics but he's a very old hand in politics and he knows how the game works very well.
"Drummy can give me curry if I'm not listening to the issues that are important in his area, and he can do that every Monday at 10.30 because the National Party have a meeting or any other time of his choosing because he has my phone number."
