Andrew Willcox (Dawson, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In the last three years, federal funding for the Bruce Highway has vanished. In 2023 the Albanese Labor government slashed the historical Bruce Highway funding model from an 80-20 split between the federal and state governments to a fifty-fifty split, additionally cutting $483 million. So I was excited when I heard the announcement from the Prime Minister in January for $7.2 billion to fix the Bruce. 'The money's there,' he said—another Labor untruth. Senate estimates discovered only $432 million will be spent over the next three years. That is less than 10 per cent of what is promised. Only yesterday, another life was lost in a horror crash on the Bruce Highway south of my hometown of Bowen. Another life lost is a downright disgrace. The Bruce Highway is obviously not a priority for the Labor government. However, those opposite wasted $450 million on the divisive Voice referendum, wasted $29.9 million to rebrand existing mental health hubs and wasted $251 million to convince taxpayers the government is doing a good job. The Prime Minister needs to stop wasting taxpayers' funds. Spend the money where it's desperately needed and where it will save lives. Fix the Bruce!