Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Why did $2.5 billion out of $3 billion of the Prime Minister's Urban Congestion Fund go to projects in Liberal seats and seats targeted by the Liberal government? Does traffic congestion stop when commuters hit a road that is not on his list of partisan political priorities?

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A very ironic question coming from the member for Ballarat, given the views of the Auditor-General on her performance. Let me remind the member of the following: in the electorate of McMahon, $95 million for Horsley Drive; in the electorate of Dobell, $6.635 million for 16 projects under the Central Coast Roads Package; in the member for Moreton's electorate, $73 million for the Coopers Plains level crossing level; in the electorates of Calwell and McEwen, $70 million for northern lines commuter car parking; in the electorates of Gorton and McEwen, $50 million for upgrades to the Calder Freeway and the M80 Ring Road; $50 million for upgrades to the Hume Freeway and M80 Ring Road, also in McEwen; in Fraser and Gorton, $50 million for upgrades on the Western Freeway and the M80 Ring Road; in Western Australia, across multiple Labor electorates—there aren't too many of them there, I confess—$50 million for transforming freeways, the widening and introduction of the ITS Kwinana and Mitchell freeways; in South Australia, in the electorate of Adelaide, $115 million for the Torrens Road level crossing removal; in Makin, $6.5 million for the Main North Road, Kings Road and McIntyre Road intersection upgrade; in the electorate of Adelaide and Makin there's $9.5 million for the Grand Junction Road and Hampstead Road intersection upgrade; in the electorate of Adelaide, another $9½ million dollars for the Main North Road and Nottage Terrace junction intersection upgrade; in Tasmania there was some $25 million in the electorates of Clark and Franklin for the Hobart congestion package; in Franklin there was $10 million for Tasman Highway Intelligent Transport Solutions; and in Bass and Lyons, with Lyons held by the Labor Party, $1.5 million for the Launceston eastern bypass study.

I do note though that, under the program run by the member for Ballarat when she was minister, the Auditor-General found that she deliberately—

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

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

Members on my right! Before I call the member for Ballarat, I refer her to my earlier rulings during the last sitting fortnight on points of order. I call the member for Ballarat on a point of order.

Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I see the Prime Minister wants to talk about audit reports, I didn't actually ask him about that—

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

The member for Ballarat will leave the chamber under 94(a).

The member for Ballarat then left the chamber.

I want to make it very clear that I'm not going to have political debate on points of order.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To conclude, I note in that Auditor-General's report I referred to—

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

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. The Manager of Opposition Business is raising a point of order?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A point of order on direct relevance hasn't been raised during the answer to this question. What the Prime Minister's now going to is not directly relevant to what he was asked.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On the point of order, Mr Speaker: I was asked about the allegation that the government had been acting against non-government electorates. Now, I think it entitles me to compare and contrast the actions of those opposite on those matters.

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

I just say to the Prime Minister, that's right, but my rulings on this have been pretty clear. You can briefly compare and contrast. There are 55 seconds to go, and I can assure you—it is my pledge—you will not spend 55 seconds doing that.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I won't—

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

No, you won't!

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can assure you. I simply note summary point 15 of that report on the then minister, which says:

The former minister's hypocrisy is outstanding.