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

My question is again addressed to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure. I ask the Deputy Prime Minister why, at the very time the national road toll has been increasing, after decades of decline, the budget papers show that, of the $232 million allocated to the heavy vehicle safety program over the last four years, only $125 million, or half, was actually invested? How many additional truck rest stops could have been built if this allocation had actually been invested?

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question. Might I remind the House that, in Labor's last budget, 2013 to 2015-16, the forward estimates, they had $18.9 billion allocated. In MYEFO, in our own budget for the coalition, from 2017-18 to 2020-21 we have $26.5 billion. That is substantially more than the Labor Party, and that's because the Labor Party are great at—

Mr Dutton interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for Home Affairs will cease interjecting. The Deputy Prime Minister has the call.

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Labor Party are so good at talking about what they would do, whilst they're in opposition, but they're so hopeless at delivering when they're in government. I understand how important road issues are. We understand absolutely how vitally important it is to reduce the road toll, and we have been successful in reducing the road toll. We need to reduce it by more. We are not meeting our targets, but we are reducing the road toll. We reduce the road toll by building better roads. That's why, from Warren Truss forward, we've invested huge amounts in upgrading—the duplication of the Pacific Motorway, something that was instigated after a tragic bus accident near, I think, Maxwell.

I don't know why you would interrupt that.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Prime Minister will resume his seat. The member for Grayndler.

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

Mr Speaker, on a point of order: this was a very specific question. It went to—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On relevance.

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

rest stops—the heavy vehicle safety program—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Grayndler will resume his seat. I understand the point he's seeking to make, and others on my left are seeking to make. The question was specific, but it referred to the road toll and the Deputy Prime Minister is referring to the road toll and the government's measures to deal with it. He's in order.

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I don't thank him for his interjection but let's address it. We have been working towards making roads safer, whether it's the Bruce Highway, whether it's the Warrego Highway, whether it's the Pacific Highway, whether it's the Princes Highway. We are doing our very best to make our roads safer. And, although they always make fun of it, the construction of things such as the inland rail take a large amount of container traffic off the roads and onto rail and make the roads safer.

In the particular circumstances of how states are working with us and want to reallocate funds, that is a question that has to be addressed not only to the federal government but also to state governments—how they disburse funds. What I can say is that, if you look at the Labor Party's record, especially with owner-operator drivers in the trucking industry, they have absolutely nothing to be proud of.