Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Denison for his question. Loath as I am to disagree with the member, I do respectfully suggest to him that the former Labor-Green government was a much bigger brake on Tasmania's economic development than the Bass Strait! This government here in Canberra and, I am sure, the new government in Hobart do want to contribute seriously to Tasmania's economic development because Tasmania needs to be a great place to work as well as a great place to live and a great place to visit. Members on this side, like the member for Denison, want to ensure that Tasmania is an economy as well as simply a national park.

To that end, we are contributing $400 million towards the duplication of the Midland Highway. I confirmed $26 million towards upgrading the Brooker Highway. There is some $40 million being contributed towards the upgrade of Hobart airport. The coalition invented the Freight Equalisation Scheme, we support the Freight Equalisation Scheme, we have no plans to change the Freight Equalisation Scheme, and that is why $114 million was committed to the Freight Equalisation Scheme every year in the budget just brought down.

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