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

The shadow minister would also be aware that a lot of that funding is collected direct from the industry through the fuel levy.

The second issue is the ATSB. It will be funded on a needs basis. It depends on how many inquiries they have to do. They are likely to get increased funding this year because of their role in the MH370 incident that is requiring substantial resources from them. Funding will be provided to meet those needs.

In relation to the projects in Western Australia—I think there has been some reference to those—they are important projects. Yes, the previous government had started the Gateway project. They announced it as their flagship project for regional Australia. I can recall us all having some degree of amazement that the Labor Party decided that a project around Perth Airport was a regional Australia project. Nonetheless, that is how it was announced. Of course, the funding was coming out of the mining tax, along with funding for the Swan Valley bypass and a whole lot of other projects in Western Australia. We all know now that the mining tax has only delivered three per cent of what Labor had budgeted. So, in practice, the work was underway but the source of the funding did not exist.

Mr Albanese interjecting—

We picked it up. The project is underway. We will fund the Swan Valley bypass. All of those projects will now be properly funded in an orthodox way, not by relying on a tax that is not collecting any money.

A number of speakers have referred to the Roads to Recovery program. It is a program that is highly valued by local government. Indeed, we are not only extending the Roads to Recovery program; in 2015-16, local government will get a double issue. That will help them to fund their road projects. In addition, they will no doubt be participating in our new bridges renewal program, so there will be real benefits for local government in having those programs delivered. Of course, we are still waiting for that legislation to be passed by the Senate. We note that Labor and the Greens voted against the extension of the R to R program in the House of Representatives, and I hope they will be more responsible in the Senate when the legislation comes up. (Time expired)

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