Natasha Griggs (Solomon, Country Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development. How will the government's Infrastructure Investment Program support the construction and maintenance of roads across Australia?

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

I thank the member for Solomon for her question. Unlike the Leader of the Opposition who in his budget reply speech spoke about forgotten people on a number of occasions and never mentioned rural Australia once—

Mr Champion interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! If the member for Wakefield has one more utterance, he will leave.

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

that is not where the member for Solomon comes from. She understands regional Australia and why it is necessary for us to invest in infrastructure not just in our biggest capital cities but also in provincial and regional communities as well, and she will be particularly pleased about the coalition government's $600 million commitment to roads in the Northern Territory.

Mr Albanese interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, the member for Grayndler will desist! Do you want to be warned?

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

Our commitments will make a real difference to much of the Territory's roads program. There is $70 million in Darwin for the Tiger Brennan Drive duplication, a project that has been underway for quite some time. This will take it some step further forward.

Mr Snowdon interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, the member for Lingiari!

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

I have noted the member for Lingiari's interjection. When I was in the Northern Territory last week, I heard him comment on the adequacy of road funding in the Northern Territory and, to his credit, he acknowledged the previous Labor government had not—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a point of order, Madam Speaker, in order to be relevant the minister must nominate a single project in the Northern Territory which is new. Any one will do—any one at all. Even a dollar will do!

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no point of order.

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

I would be delighted to name dozens of projects across Australia, scores of projects which Labor had not had anything to do with. But since this question is about the Northern Territory, how about the Outback Way. Labor never spent a cent on the Outback Way. It was not prepared to spend anything on the Outback Way, and we are committing $20 million to the Outback Way in the Northern Territory. That is just one

Mr Snowdon interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Lingiari is warned! One more and you are out!

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

While I was in the Territory I also announced the $77 million Northern Territory Roads Package, which Labor had never funded and which will provide significant upgrades to the major roads of the Territory, and then $90 million to the Regional Roads Productivity Package. Labor is going to claim that this is its own, but in reality they did not spend any of it. The projects that they announced like the Santa Teresa Road and the Port Keats Road were not funded. I visited the Santa Teresa Road and not a thing was done. Nothing had happened. But with Chief Minister Giles I was able to announce the start of construction on that project and the Port Keats Road and $90 million of major roads upgrading in the Territory. We are getting on with the job. We are delivering for the Territory and the rest of Australia the roads network of the 21st century, roads they deserve that Labor never delivered.