Anne Webster (Mallee, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister. Will the Deputy Prime Minister inform the House how the Morrison-McCormack government has supported regional Australians and their jobs throughout the COVID-19 pandemic?

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

I have some numbers to read to the House. Numbers have not been my friend today, but these numbers are. These numbers are very enlightening. The member for Mallee's electorate has had $73.5 million go to the 12 councils in her electorate. That is the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program funding that we are delivering for that proud Victorian regional electorate. I'm proud of those numbers, and I'm very, very proud that the budget, handed down on 11 May, by the Treasurer, made sure that there was an additional $1 billion on top of the $1½ billion we allocated last year, for the LRCI Program. That is a good program.

Yesterday, I was in the member for Capricornia's electorate, talking to the Livingstone shire mayor, Andy Ireland. I was looking at the road programs there, looking at the aquatic centre in Yeppoon. These are community infrastructure projects that would not have been made possible but for the Liberals and Nationals making sure that we support regional communities, making sure, as the minister for local government often reminds me, we support all councils. There are 537 of them right across this nation, and I'm proud to say that we have delivered for those local government areas.

I addressed the Australian Local Government Association conference this morning. There they were, in the National Convention Centre, the mayors—many of whom will be up for re-election this September in New South Wales. They are doing it proud for their communities. I commend local government for what it has done, and I am also mindful of the investment that this government has placed in those local councils futures, in the people who are in those regional communities, making sure that we have backed them to be their best selves. Whether it's West Torrens with a lighting project at a community oval, whether it's Gympie fixing a footpath that is broken, we are making sure that we get that money out the door.

This is particularly important in this time of COVID, where so many people are concerned about their future. So many people were worried about whether they would have a job. The Treasurer has made sure that we have got very good employment numbers indeed. I commend the Treasurer for the work that he has done. I commend the government for what we have done to support those regional economies, particularly those remote economies. I'm so pleased and proud of the assistance that we have provided the aviation sector. The Prime Minister mentioned keeping the wheels turning. Indeed, we have; but we've also kept planes in the air. We know that planes in the air mean jobs on the ground. I particularly liked the flight attendant's words as I alighted from a flight to Roma the other day. She said, 'Thanks to you, I'm still in a job,' and that is the most important thing that we, as parliamentarians, can do—keep people in jobs and give them prospects for the future.