Stephen Jones (Whitlam, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development and Infrastructure) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The reputations of governments stand on the commitments and promises they make before an election and their willingness to follow through on those promises and deliver on them. It is not just the big promises like the one not to cut Medicare and the promise not to cut promises, but it is also the local commitments. That is why it is such a disgrace that prior to the last election the coalition promised to deliver $9.7 million to build the Shoalhaven Motorsports Complex near Nowra.

Last night it was revealed in parliament by the member for Gilmore that this promise is going to be broken. I had doubts about the project at the time, but I had no doubts about the need for the Shoalhaven region to get $10 million to deliver on jobs and infrastructure. It is an area that is suffering from 13 per cent unemployment.

The Prime Minister should take a direct interest in this issue. It is not just the reputation of the member for Gilmore that is on the line, it is also the reputation of the Prime Minister. It is not my job to stand up for jobs in the electorate of Gilmore; it is the job of the member for Gilmore. But if she will not do the job, I am willing to do it and the members on this side of the House are willing to do it.

I have written to the minister responsible and asked her to guarantee that this funding will be guaranteed for the electorate of Gilmore. I provide the Prime Minister with a copy of this letter—(Time expired)