Dai Le (Fowler, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Prime Minister, in 2022 you announced $15 billion in the National Reconstruction Fund, supposedly to support manufacturing. In this budget, you announced $22.7 billion for your Future Made in Australia. Manufacturing is the largest employer in Fowler—40 per cent—and is the engine room powering Western Sydney. How much of the $15 billion announced in 2022 has been allocated to support small and medium-sized manufacturing companies in Western Sydney?

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

I thank the member for Fowler for her question. I'd hope she's an enthusiastic supporter of our plan for manufacturing, because it compares with those opposite, who of course voted against the National Reconstruction Fund. They voted against it and stopped it going through this parliament for a period of time—they delayed it. But we're getting on with the National Reconstruction Fund now—have its structures set up. It isn't something that has a colour-coded spreadsheet; it's something that will get proper economic analysis for projects.

But I hope, as well, that the member for Fowler was pleased to see the new projects in the budget benefitting Fowler: $5 million for the Hume Highway corridor assessment; $47½ million for Western Sydney roads; $100 million for Western Sydney rapid bus infrastructure upgrades; and $22.5 million for Roads to Recovery funding for councils in Fowler over five years, following our increases.

Angie Bell (Moncrieff, Liberal National Party, Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

She asked about manufacturing!

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

You've got nothing to say at all!

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

Those opposite show their objection to manufacturing! It is an independent—

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

Order! The Leader of the Nationals is pretty agitated today. We're just going to dial that down for the remainder of question time. I'd like to hear from the Deputy Leader of the Opposition on a point of order.

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My point of order is on relevance, Mr Speaker. The question did not go to infrastructure, it went to manufacturing.

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

The question was about how much money was announced for small and medium businesses in Fowler. The Prime Minister is allowed to talk about the electorate—he may give context, but I'm just going to ask him to return to the question.

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

Exactly right; it was about Fowler, and I'm talking about things that will create jobs in Fowler. In addition to that, the National Reconstruction Fund—

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

Order! The Deputy Leader of the Opposition has made her point of order. We've moved on from there. I'm just going to ask her to cease interjecting. The Prime Minister is being in order, and he's going to be heard in silence, just as the member for Fowler was heard in silence.

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

In addition to that, the National Reconstruction Fund—something very foreign to those opposite—will make objective decisions, at arms-length from government, about support for manufacturing industry. That's as it should be.