Peter Bannan’s article on Tuesday about the Albanese Labor Government’s U-turn on rural speed limits quoted an unnamed ‘spokesperson for the minister’ who accused me of a ‘deliberate and targeted misinformation campaign’.

When governments make accusations against sitting MPs through faceless bureaucrats, you know you are reading absolute rubbish because the Minister hasn’t got the moral fibre to put her name to the accusation.

This cardigan-wearing puppet for Minister King claims the former Coalition infrastructure minister started the work on developing a national approach to lowering speed limits.  Slashing default regional speed limits from 100 kilometres an hour to as low as 70km/h was never taken forward as Coalition policy.  Labor ran a recent, secretive, short consultation on cutting default rural speed limits.  The Nationals spotted the consultation, called it out and thanks to our advocacy, thousands of regional Australians made submissions exposing the harebrained plan for what it is.  Yes, it was a targeted and effective information campaign, and regional Australia won.

Gaslighting is particularly reprehensible, and Labor are experts in the practice - think Dan Andrews.   Using faceless people to accuse MPs of ‘misinformation’ is likewise discreditable.

Worse still, Mallee farmers and community members are being accused of misinformation on the reckless rollout of transmission lines and energy projects.  Again, a faceless individual writing to a Senate inquiry has accused Mallee advocates of being in the pocket of the fossil fuel industry.  I know these farmers personally, they are standing up for their 5th, 6th generation family farm and property rights, spending their own time and hard-earned money to do so.

Back on speed limits, rural road fatalities are a very serious matter.  As Shadow Minister for Regional Development and Local Government I am fighting for our councils to get the funds they need to reduce fatalities by maintaining and improving local roads.  Labor is cutting funding for councils, and changing national speed limits with the stroke of a pen is lazy, bringing driver fatigue and frustration into the equation.

Our roads will be safer if our councils are more financially sustainable.  That is a fact.