After Mr Joyce referred to several funding announcements across the country, including Shepparton, Ms Chan interjected saying “but they’re short 180 doctors in Shepparton”.
Mr Joyce didn’t respond to the follow-up remark, despite several mentions of Shepparton and Nicholls in his speech and in answers to questions from journalists.
He said the Nationals had a plan for regional Australia, which he said wasn’t reflected in the alternative options this election.
“Do we have challenges as we go forward? Yes we do. Are we trying to address it? Yes we are. Have we released a policy on it? Yes we have. Do we have a regional health minister? Yes we do. Do we have an alternative in Labor or the Greens? No we don’t,” Mr Joyce said.
Moments after attacking the Labor party for running what he called a campaign without policy, he went after independents “who are even worse” than Labor.
“The independents, with their imperium in imperio approach, telling us that they are unique and righteous, but are actually the precursor to chaos,” he said.
Mr Joyce said independents leeched off the major parties, and a parliament full of them would “run around like headless chooks”.
“In essence, their decision to run is one word: selfishness, with possibly a sentiment of entitlement residing below this," he said.
