David Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to Labor's first round of the Mobile Black Spot Program, open this month in 54 target locations. Why is it that 74 per cent of these target locations are in Labor Party-held electorates? How is this fair and accountable for bushfire-prone communities across regional Australia desperate for better mobile coverage?

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The House will come to order! There is far too much disorder. I could not hear one part of that question—there was so much noise. I ask the leader to return to the question. I give him the call now and I would like him to be heard in silence.

David Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to Labor's first round of the mobile phone black spot program, open this month in 54 target locations. Why is it that 74 per cent of these target locations are in Labor Party-held electorates? How is this fair and accountable for bushfire-prone communities across regional Australia desperate for better mobile coverage?

Honourable members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The leader was heard in silence. The Prime Minister will be given the same courtesy.

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

I will ask the Minister for Communications to add to the answer, but I should give credit where credit is due, to the minister for energy, who suggests that I should give you both 'Barilaros' on that question!

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister will return to the question.

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

Frankly, for the leader of the National Party to come in here and ask a question about pork-barrelling—when the fund that was half-funded by the federal government and half-funded by the New South Wales government, and when the leader of the National Party in New South Wales sat down and changed the rules and changed the guidelines so that the bushfire affected communities in the electorate of Macquarie got money taken away from them. They looked at the colour coded map to exclude Labor seats. What a disgrace from the National Party—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Nationals is warned.

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

the party of sports rorts and the party of community safety rorts. I walk Toto sometimes—

Government members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister will just pause a moment. There is far too much noise coming from my right. If this continues—I'm issuing a general warning—people will leave the chamber for disorderly conduct. I can't be clearer than that. I'll hear from the Manager of Opposition Business.

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on relevance: it was a very targeted question about the Mobile Black Spot Program, a Commonwealth government program. It is no answer to that to refer to completely unrelated programs.

Oppositio n members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Members on my left, I'm trying to rule on the point of order. The Prime Minister will continue his answer.

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

The extraordinary gall of the leader of the National Party to ask this question—

Opposition members: Tell us why!

'Tell us why?' When you go for a walk near the Sydney Harbour Bridge, past North Sydney pool, you pass a project that was funded under the regional scheme because some people from the country might swim in it sometimes! You have got to be kidding.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Nationals is on a warning. If he continues, he'll leave the chamber.

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

The rounds, of course, that we did, were about election commitments that were made, and now they're open. That's what occurs. That is why it's happened in this way. For the leader of the National Party, who I know is embarrassed by the performance of the New South Wales Nats, to ask this question is just extraordinary.