Meryl Swanson (Paterson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister. Why is only three per cent of the funding to extend the M1 to Raymond Terrace available in the next four years?

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, it's better than some of the funding that Labor gave to some of the electorates when it was in. As I said in my previous answer, we are getting on over a phased process. That's the responsible way to roll out infrastructure. I appreciate that the member for Paterson is in a regional electorate. When Labor were last in government, regional spend was $404 million. That was for the electorate of Paterson and other regional electorates. We've doubled and then tripled that spend in our past two terms, and we'll now spend six times that amount over the next three years. Our budget over dedicated regional funds is $2.7 billion, increasing our spend of $1½ billion.

The member for Paterson should be absolutely delighted that we're getting on with spending $15 million on the Cessnock Road at Testers Hollow. She should be very pleased. The M1 Pacific Motorway extension—$1.6 billion allocated to that. The M1 productivity package—

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

The Leader of the Opposition on a point of order?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That road's in Queensland.

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

No, you need to state the point of order.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is a question very specific—about a specific road.

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

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. As I said during the previous answer by the Deputy Prime Minister, he was fine when he was confining his remarks to the particular electorate. But once he strays beyond that he is straying beyond the question itself.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In the electorate of the member for Paterson, Tenterfield and Newcastle, under Roads of Strategic Importance: $140 million. Roads of Strategic Importance is an initiative that came up from this side of parliament, not that side, because that side is not interested in those vital regional linkages, that vital regional connectivity. The Hunter Expressway: $1.4 billion. But they are all connected in to Paterson. They are all making sure that people from Paterson, whom the member represents, are getting home sooner and safer. Cessnock Frame Drive Bridge replacement: $2 million. We're getting on with replacing those bridges to help productivity, to help create supply lines, to help create jobs and build a better future. The Black Spot Program, for the seat of the member who asked the question: $6.8 million for that program, which is going to help avoid road crashes. And the Kinnard Park upgrade for Wellington: $200,000. We are getting on with building a better Paterson. We're getting on with building a better future, getting on with building a better Australia.