Mike Freelander (Macarthur, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories. How is the Albanese Labor government supporting local government? And how does this compare to other approaches?

Kristy McBain (Eden-Monaro, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Macarthur for his question. He is a staunch advocate for the local government sector, many of whom I met with in his office, and I know he knows the value of good governance. Everyone in this place knows I'm a champion for local government. They are the closest level of government to our communities, and they provide so many vital services. On this side of the House we back that. We've brought them back to the table of the national cabinet. We've re-established the Council of Local Governments. And we've provided significant boosts in road funding, including progressively doubling Roads to Recovery.

That's what happens when you have a Labor government. Local government is in every town, in every village, in every city, right across the country, and the best solutions are locally led, including the best candidates in local government. But yesterday we saw some shocking news. Across New South Wales, dozens of Liberal candidates no longer can run in the local council elections on 14 September—chaos, you might think! Well, that's what happens when you've got a New South Wales Liberal Party failing to do the one job they had, which was to lodge a form on time. Could you believe that? They had one job and they failed at it—unfathomable. And those opposite want us, want the Australian people, to believe they can run a country when they can't even lodge a form. They think the Australian people will fall for a nuclear plan. They're going to build them and run them, but they can't lodge a form! And what a shame it is for all of those local candidates who just wanted to represent their communities. As usual, we have seen the constant mismanagement that has become synonymous with those opposite. First it was colour coded spreadsheets. Then it was regional grants for the North Sydney pool. We heard yesterday that North Sydney cares for regional and rural Australia! Remember when the 'back in black' mugs came. They just missed the bit where they actually got the budget back in black—missed it by this much, I think it was! It's a pattern of chaos and mismanagement from those opposite. How can they run a country when they can't even get a nomination in?

Can I make a suggestion just before I go? Maybe was into the formerly Liberal mayor of Lane Cove. He was asked by Kenny Heatley on Sky News: What does this say about the state of the Liberal Party if they can't even get their nomination forms in before the cut-off? Scott Bennison, the current Mayor of Lane Cove—well, he's about to be the former mayor because the Liberals didn't preselect him, and now he's running as an Independent—said, 'They probably shouldn't be in government. If they can't get their forms in, they shouldn't manage anything. If I could just make a suggestion: make sure you get your federal nominations in soon!

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

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

Order. Members on my right will cease clapping.