Janelle Saffin (Page, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I know. I know what you are quoting from, honourable member for Wide Bay. I have seen it too in the nation-building program because there was stimulus money—there was extra money given. So you cannot even give something extra and have people say, 'Great, we have some extra money', all you do is turn it around and kick people in the teeth. I am fed up with it, because it is my local road and I am sick of having to be involved in this debate. The money needs to be there, fifty-fifty. It was no different to what Prime Minister Howard said at the time.

If you go back to the coalition's Auslink white paper of June 2004, it said, 'The government's objective is to duplicate the Pacific Highway by 2016, in partnership with the New South Wales Government.' It goes on to say, 'The government,' meaning the Howard government, 'will commence new duplication and upgrading projects by investing an additional $480 million. The New South Wales government will be expected to at least match this level of funding.' There is no different an expectation on the federal Labor government now.

Now, prior to the 2007 election the coalition's election policy 'Our 2020 plan for Australia's transport future' said, 'The coalition is willing to commit funds to fully duplicate the Pacific Highway by 2016 if New South Wales matches this commitment.' So what has happened to that? Is that a policy that has just been dropped, abolished, gone? Particularly by the Leader of the Nationals; you were once seen as the party that cared about roads and that funded roads. Where has that gone? I have only ever lived in areas that have generally been National Party and I just find it astonishing that we are having this debate in my local area on this.

Everybody has looked for this so-called 80-20agreement. It does not exist. What you find in the state budget papers in New South Wales is:

The Australian Government’s Economic Stimulus Plan significantly increased capital expenditure in New South Wales in 2009-10 and 2010-11 ($3.0 billion and $1.7 billion, respectively). This expenditure effectively concludes in 2011-12 …

Which is as it should be: it was stimulus money. It finished, and to have it used to be kicked and beaten up on is just unconscionable.

Minister, my question is: how much money went into the Pacific Highway?

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