Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—I move opposition amendments (1) to (21) together:

(1)   Schedule 1, item 2, page 3 (lines 11 to 18), omit the item, substitute:

2  Subsection 4(1) (definition of approved funding recipient)

Omit “an AusLink National Project, an AusLink Transport Development and Innovation Project, an AusLink Strategic Regional Project or an AusLink Black Spot Project”, substitute “a Nation Building Program National Project, a Nation Building Program Transport Development and Innovation Project, a Nation Building Program Strategic Regional Project or a Nation Building Program Black Spot Project”.

(2)    Schedule 1, item 3, page 3 (lines 19 to 26), omit the item, substitute:

3  Subsection 4(1) (definition of approved purposes)

Omit “an AusLink National Project, an AusLink Transport Development and Innovation Project, an AusLink Strategic Regional Project or an AusLink Black Spot Project”, substitute “a Nation Building Program National Project, a Nation Building Program Transport Development and Innovation Project, a Nation Building Program Strategic Regional Project or a Nation Building Program Black Spot Project”.

(3)    Schedule 1, item 12, page 4 (lines 19 to 22), omit the item, substitute:

12  Subsection 4(1)

Insert:

Nation Building Program Strategic Regional Project has the meaning given by section 52.

(4)    Schedule 1, item 62, page 10 (lines 10 to 13), omit the item, substitute:

62  Part 6 (heading)

Repeal the heading, substitute:

Part 6—Nation Building Program Strategic Regional Projects

(5)    Schedule 1, item 63, page 10 (lines 14 to 17), omit the item, substitute:

63  Division 1 of Part 6 (heading)

Repeal the heading, substitute:

Division 1—Approval of projects as Nation Building Program Strategic Regional Projects

(6)    Schedule 1, item 64, page 10 (lines 18 to 22), omit the item, substitute:

64  Section 52

Omit “An AusLink Strategic Regional Project”, substitute “A Nation Building Program Strategic Regional Project”.

Note:                The heading to section 52 is altered by omitting “an AusLink Strategic Regional Project?” and substituting “a Nation Building Program Strategic Regional Project?”.

(7)    Schedule 1, item 65, page 10 (lines 23 to 27), omit the item, substitute:

65  Subsection 53(1)

Omit “an AusLink Strategic Regional Project”, substitute “a Nation Building Program Strategic Regional Project”.

Note:                The heading to section 53 is altered by omitting “AusLink Strategic Regional Projects” and substituting “Nation Building Program Strategic Regional Projects”.

(8)    Schedule 1, item 66, page 10 (line 28) to page 11 (line 2), omit the item, substitute:

66  Sections 54 and 55

Omit “an AusLink Strategic Regional Project”, substitute “a Nation Building Program Strategic Regional Project”.

(9)    Schedule 1, item 67, page 11 (lines 3 and 4), omit the item.

(10)  Schedule 1, item 68, page 11 (lines 5 and 6), omit the item.

(11)  Schedule 1, item 69, page 11 (lines 7 and 8), omit the item.

(12)  Schedule 1, item 70, page 11 (lines 9 to 11), omit the item, substitute:

70  Subsection 56(1)

Omit “AusLink Strategic Regional Projects”, substitute “Nation Building Program Strategic Regional Projects”.

(13)  Schedule 1, item 71, page 11 (lines 12 to 14), omit the item, substitute:

71  Subsections 56(3) and (4)

Omit “an AusLink Strategic Regional Project”, substitute “a Nation Building Program Strategic Regional Project”.

(14)  Schedule 1, item 72, page 11 (lines 15 to 17), omit the item, substitute:

72  Subsections 57(1), (2) and (3)

Omit “an AusLink Strategic Regional Project”, substitute “a Nation Building Program Strategic Regional Project”.

(15)  Schedule 1, item 73, page 11 (lines 18 to 20), omit the item, substitute:

73  Section 58

Omit “an AusLink Strategic Regional Project”, substitute “a Nation Building Program Strategic Regional Project”.

(16)  Schedule 1, item 74, page 11 (lines 21 to 23), omit the item, substitute:

74  Subsection 59(1)

Omit “an AusLink Strategic Regional Project”, substitute “a Nation Building Program Strategic Regional Project”.

(17)  Schedule 1, item 75, page 11 (lines 24 to 28), omit the item, substitute:

75  Subsection 60(1)

Omit “an AusLink Strategic Regional Project”, substitute “a Nation Building Program Strategic Regional Project”.

Note:                The heading to section 60 is altered by omitting “AusLink Strategic Regional Projects” and substituting “Nation Building Program Strategic Regional Projects”.

(18)  Schedule 1, item 76, page 11 (line 29) to page 12 (line 2), omit the item, substitute:

76  Subsection 61(1)

Omit “an AusLink Strategic Regional Project”, substitute “a Nation Building Program Strategic Regional Project”.

(19)  Schedule 1, item 77, page 12 (lines 3 to 5), omit the item, substitute:

77  Subsections 62(1) and (2)

Omit “an AusLink Strategic Regional Project”, substitute “a Nation Building Program Strategic Regional Project”.

(20)  Schedule 1, item 85, page 13 (lines 7 and 8), omit the item.

(21)  Schedule 1, item 86, page 13 (lines 9 and 10), omit the item.

These amendments are designed to preserve the original intent of the AusLink Strategic Regional Program and the Black Spot Program. They simply change the bill to restore these programs. We will allow the change of name from ‘AusLink’ to ‘Nation Building Program’, but we maintain the intent of the programs. As much as the opposition think that the changing of the program names from ‘AusLink’ to ‘nation building’ is all about spin and a complete waste of time, we will not stand in the way. If the government are so bent on pursuing their silly spin then that is their business. It is obvious to everyone that this is designed to purge from memory the names of highly successful road funding programs, like the Black Spot Program and the AusLink Strategic Regional Program, identified with the coalition.

Our amendments adjust the government’s changes to preserve the term ‘strategic regional project’ and, more importantly, it keeps the original wording in section 55 of the AusLink (National Land Transport) Act 2005 to ensure that, when the minister approves a nation-building strategic regional project, the minister must consider the regional benefit of that project. Unfortunately, the government, in its attempt to move transport infrastructure funding from the country to the cities, has removed this requirement in the bill. Similarly, opposition amendments (20) and (21) delete items 85 and 86 on page 13, lines 7 to 10, of the government’s bill that permit black spot projects to occur on the National Land Transport Network. These are simple changes that preserve the regional and local focus of these two vital elements of what was known as the AusLink program.

It is a shame that the opposition has to do this. It is a greater shame that the government is once again demonstrating its strong bias against country Australia by seeking to move road funding away from regional areas and into the cities.

I believe these amendments are reasonable and they should be supported by the government. Let us make it absolutely clear to the minister who put out the ridiculous media release this morning suggesting that the opposition was about blocking road projects: these amendments do not reduce spending on roads by a single dollar. These amendments do not reduce expenditure on roads by a single dollar, but they allow funds to be spent in areas where they have traditionally been spent under these programs. They enable projects to be undertaken on local roads and streets in country and city areas under the Black Spot Program, as they always have been. They allow the regional strategic program funding to be spent in the regions or on projects which have a regional benefit, as they always have been and as was always intended.

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