Teresa Gambaro (Brisbane, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Citizenship and Settlement) Share this | Hansard source

It is a great pleasure to rise for the second time in this 43rd Parliament to support a motion on this issue by my very good friend and colleague, the Chief Opposition Whip and member for Leichhardt. The member's passion and interest in this problem cannot be doubted. I congratulate him on the way he represents his constituents in this place, particularly those that reside in the Torres Strait.

Of course, we are here debating the rebuilding of seawalls on the two Torres Strait Islands of Saibai and Boigu. This is a terrible story that has been going on for four years. My colleagues have comprehensively covered the background of this issue. Effectively, the seawalls that protect the villages on these mud islands have deteriorated to the extent that, when the king tides occur, intense flooding occurs and the communities get severely damaged. The member for Leichhardt has previously relayed terrible stories in this House about graves in cemeteries in Saibai getting washed out into the ocean after the terrible flooding. It is a tragedy that in the 21st century in Australia we are still seeing instances like this.

I also take intense interest in matters pertaining to the Torres Strait, particularly as they relate to my shadow portfolio areas of international development assistance. I have been working with the member for Leichhardt on issues relating to AusAID funding for tuberculosis treatment for PNG nationals, which affects the people who reside in the Torres Strait Islands. The Torres Strait Island Regional Council Mayor Fred Gela put out a press release on 1 February this year which said:

Mayor Gela said that Warren Entsch’s achievement was great in gaining Federal support when the Private Members motion received bipartisanship in regards to funding the restoration and construction of seawalls in our affected communities, only to be advised by the Federal government that it was State’s obligation to fund such issues.

"Stop passing the buck between Federal and State Government," Cr. Gela said.

"We are all Australians and we are calling upon the Federal Government to put their money where their mouth is.

"They supported the private members bill, so it is in fact their responsibility to determine how and where the funds will come from.

Then surprise, surprise, after Minister Crean reneged on a commitment—after the Labor Party supported the private members' bill—the member for Leichhardt put this motion on the Notice Paper and, guess what, the federal government announced some funding. This announcement came just a few days after the member tabled the motion but, again like so much of what this government does, there is a twist. There is always a twist. You can never take an announcement by this government on any face value.

The announcement—and I have the press release in front of me—was made that the government would commit $5 million from the Regional Development Australia Fund plus up to $7 million in additional funding, which apparently comes out of thin air because nobody knows where that $7 million is coming from. If they were genuine they would announce $12 million, straight and upfront, for the Torres Strait coming under the Regional Development Australia Fund. But now there is a catch, and there is always a catch. The Queensland government must match it with $12 million worth of contribution. What a sneaky, underhanded way of saying that you are going to provide funding. This government knows full well that the Queensland government has been left in a financially unviable state by the former Labor government. The incoming Treasury brief to the Newman government stated that the levels of spending and borrowing were unsustainable. Then we have seen the interim report of the Commission of Audit, headed by my distinguished former colleague Peter Costello, which has revealed the Queensland government debt—

Mr Neumann interjecting—

You don't like the word 'debt'; it really upsets you. The debt is $100 billion. Let me repeat that: $100 billion. You hate that word 'debt'. Well, your previous state government colleagues put us in this situation, yet this government makes an announcement that it is dependent and hinges on the funding by the state government. As the member for Leichhardt said, this is a cruel hoax.

Mr Neumann interjecting—

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