Brian Mitchell (Lyons, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I think it was four weeks ago that the budget was handed down and I waited, as did my Tasmanian colleagues, with bated breath to hear 'Tasmania'—'the state that dare not speak its name'—uttered from the Treasurer's lips. Not once in the budget speech was Tasmania mentioned. In the intervening weeks, the minister has been up on his feet a few times, like an angry chickenhawk, extolling the supposed virtues of this so-called infrastructure budget, and I have waited yet again to hear about all the wonderful projects that this government is doing in Tasmania. But there has been no mention of Tasmania. A quick look at the budget papers explains why. Out of the $75 billion those opposite boast about, there is nothing for Tasmania. In fact, over the course of the last 12 months the government have cut investment in Tasmania's infrastructure by $26 million. At budget time last year, Tasmanians were promised $173 million in 2016-17; however, the latest budget reveals our state will get $147 million—a $26 million cut in a budget that is supposed to be all about infrastructure. Well, thank you very much! Funding cuts nationwide are $1.6 billion; in Tasmania, they are $26 million.

Let's look at the list to see where the cuts to these programs are happening. For Black Spots—areas that require more funding, if anything—$2.9 million was promised in the 2016 budget but actual is $0.7 million. It will not even make it to a million dollars. There has been $2.2 million cut from Black Spots. Road projects: promised in 2016, $114.3 million; delivery, $91.3 million. The minister was on his feet earlier talking about how we welcome the investment in the Midland Highway. I remind the minister that the Midland Highway project was started by Labor, and we promised $500 million. This mob got into government and the first thing they did was cut $100 million out of it. So they have cut funding for fixing dangerous black spots on local roads by $2.2 million and they have cut funding for major road projects in Tasmania by $23 million in a budget in which Tasmania did not rate a mention in the Treasurer's speech.

Funding for Tasmania will continue to fall over the next four years under this government: in 2017-18, $174.6 million; in 2018-19, $115.2 million; in 2019-20, $52.6 million; and in 2020-21, $61.6 million. It is a descending graph. It is like Malcolm Turnbull's—sorry, the Prime Minister's—approval ratings in Newspoll: down, down, down they go. Every major federally funded project currently underway in Tasmania was originally identified and funded by the former federal Labor government—whether it is irrigation, whether it is roads or whether it was the real NBN. That is an infrastructure project, although I know it is not under this minister's purview, where we delivered FTTP.

I was in the chamber earlier today talking about Launceston being the only gigabit city in Australia. That was possible only because we delivered FTTP, whereas this government has come in and is delivering FTTN and wireless and satellite, and is making it impossible for new businesses to invest in the economy of the future, which is all about information technology. At every turn, Tasmania is losing under this government. It did not rate even mention in the Treasurer's speech and has not rated a mention whenever the minister gets to his feet. No doubt he will get to his feet in a minute and talk about all the wonderful things he is doing. Remember what Labor promised in the last election: a big program for Cradle Mountain, HMAS Tobruk would have come to Tasmania, extra road funding for the Midland Highway. Compare what Labor was going to produce for Tasmania with what these guys are doing. There is no comparison.

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