Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We saw some signs of life from those opposite on the weekend in relation to some infrastructure funding that was dragged out of the never-never into the forward estimates. I guess something is better than nothing, but those commitments made by those opposite that weren't even in the forward estimates for the Northern Territory and for Darwin, which I represent, have now been brought into sometime in the next 18 months. I'm sure that those opposite have heard all of the warnings from the RBA and a whole heap of reputable economists about the need for infrastructure spending now—not in 18 months, not in three or four years, which is where the majority of this funding still is out on the never-never, but actually brought forward to the here and now. We have funding for Kakadu National Park, that magnificent place in Australia that is world renowned. It has funding commitments over 10 years. We need to restore that park to its former glory and we need to do that now, not over 10 years from now. Those opposite in government have spent about six years—going into their seventh year—ignoring infrastructure needs in the Northern Territory, and they need to get on with it and bring forward that funding now.