John McVeigh (Groom, Liberal Party, Minister for Regional Development, Territories and Local Government) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for O'Connor for his question. The 2018-19 budget will in fact deliver in spades for the good people who call the vast electorate of O'Connor home. From Albany to Arthur River and Kalgoorlie to Katanning, the coalition government has a plan for a stronger economy right throughout O'Connor and right through regional Australia.

We are backing regional Australia, and in particular we're backing the Building Better Regions Fund. Following the success of round 1 of this fund, over 20,000 jobs were created throughout regional Australia. The second round is currently under consideration and assessment. We've now, through the budget, locked in another $200 million for the third round of the Building Better Regions Fund. This means more projects, more opportunities and more jobs throughout regional Australia. All members throughout the House would also welcome another round of the Stronger Communities Program, which has already seen over 5,000 local job-creating community projects and infrastructure projects created across the country—great news for families, great news for local communities and great news for local economies.

We won't stop there. We're delivering for regional Australia right across the board. As the Treasurer and the Deputy Prime Minister have announced, there is the $75 billion infrastructure pipeline, the $24½ billion of funding in place for new major projects and initiatives, $3.5 billion for roads of strategic importance, and $250 million for the Major Project Business Case Fund. I'm excited about the budget. I'm excited about regional Australia.

I'm asked if there are any alternative approaches. Well, it's pretty obviously that the other side of the House don't even have a plan for the regions. They prefer to cuddle up to inner city Greens. They prefer to threaten the jobs of those hardworking Australians in the mining industry. They prefer to support ridiculous vegetation management legislation brought down by Queensland Labor and threaten to take it across the country, therefore threatening the livelihoods of farmers right across our nation. The opposition leader would rather force Australians onto the dole queue than stand up to those Greens and those inner city activists who now run his party. He has no plan for regional Australia. He has no ideas at all. (Time expired)

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