David Coleman (Banks, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

The Labor Party's Improving Mobile Coverage Round of the Mobile Black Spot Program is an outrageous abuse of taxpayer money. Thirty-three per cent of electorates in regional Australia are held by the Labor Party, but 74 per cent of locations for this program are in Labor electorates. Do you know what else, Deputy Speaker? In New South Wales there are 26 locations that are in the program. Let's guess how many of the 26 locations are in Labor electorates. It turns out it's 25. Twenty-five of the 26 locations are in Labor electorates.

It's very clear what needs to happen here. The Minister for Communications needs to give a full press conference on this issue and talk about her role in this matter. In particular, one of the really interesting questions is: how many of these locations were based on advice from her department, when she implemented these programs, as the government of Australia—you might not like it, but it's true; you're the government, and you implemented this program. Seventy-four per cent of locations are in Labor electorates, and in New South Wales it's more than 95 per cent. That is a disgrace, it is a shameful abuse of public money, and the minister must be held to account.

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