“If such a Labor-Green beast forms Government, rural and regional electorates right across Australia will be threatened by Greens policies such as an even bigger mining tax, a giant new emissions trading scheme also imposed on agriculture, an end to recreational fishing in many marine areas, death duties, an open door policy on boat arrivals, and an end to coal extraction and other mining,” Mr Schultz said.

“There will be food and fibre shortages in Australia as The Greens pursue their policies to end intensive agriculture and stop irrigation in the Murray Darling Basin. The list goes on.

“The current Gillard Labor Government has been one of the worst ever for people living outside the capital cities.

“In Labor’s first Budget, $1 billion was slashed from regional programs. In the second, even more was cut. Labor wanted to impose an emissions trading scheme upon us and in its third Budget, Labor gave us a mining tax.

“Earlier this week Ms Gillard’s Deputy, Wayne Swan, said there would be no deal on a Ministry for the Greens, now we have him and Ms Gillard in a photo opportunity with the Greens Leader Bob Brown announcing a new alliance.

“The deal done today has seen the breaking of Labor’s election promise to deliver a citizens assembly to debate a carbon price (a policy that was condemned by the Coalition and the Greens) and replaced by a mutual agreement with the Greens for a Parliamentary Committee.

“This does nothing more than further emphasise the adage I repeatedly refer, ‘Don’t believe what Labor says, look at what it does’.”