Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Now you are about to witness the great difference between this side of the parliament and that side of the parliament because, while I respect the member for Tangney and his no case, I am now going to give you the yes case in favour of constitutional recognition of local government.

On this side there is a great variety of ideas. Often we disagree and we express our differences of opinion in the parliament. However, on that side of the parliament, unfortunately, you have to toe the party line or you get expelled from the Labor Party. That is the way it is.

Local government is the closest arm of government to the people. It is because of this that many of my coalition colleagues—and I stress 'many'—and I support the recognition of local government in the Constitution. Such a recognition will allow the federal government to foster a more direct relationship with local councils in order to better manage funding of critical infrastructure projects within local government areas.

I am pleased the government has announced there will be a referendum held on election day, 14 September 2013, which will allow the nation to decide if local government should be recognised in the Constitution of the nation and thereby make federal-to-council funding a much easier process. However, whilst I am pleased that the government has done this I do question the government's motives in doing this. I will refer to that later.

In discussing the local government referendum with the mayor of the Temora Shire, Councillor Rick Firman, he told me that it is of paramount importance that this bill and this referendum pass. If it is not passed, Councillor Firman argues, there will be one group which suffers most: the community—the citizens who this parliament and our counterparts in local government and, indeed, those in state parliaments are elected to represent. Critical infrastructure projects such as the Roads to Recovery projects, from which the Temora Shire was able to receive more than more than $2 million in funding, will be managed much more easily with the recognition of local government in the Constitution.

Councillor Firman says the direct funding of projects by the federal government would simplify the process and would mean that councils can focus on delivering the critical infrastructure upgrades rather than complicated, bureaucratic involvement with the states. He also believes that such a recognition would mean that well-performing councils such as his in Temora will be rewarded. He supports a move which will simplify the process.

Temora council is in surplus, thanks to due diligence of its nine councillors and the staff capably led by General Manager, Gary Lavelle.

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