Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Johnston, the Minister representing the Minister for Transport and Regional Services. Is the minister aware of the comment by the member for Kalgoorlie, Mr Barry Haase, on the budget that ‘there is nothing specific’ in it for his vast regional electorate? Is the minister also aware that the Treasurer did not mention the resources sector once in his budget speech? Isn’t it the case that infrastructure deficiencies continue to prevent regional Western Australia, particularly the north-west, from developing to its potential? Isn’t it also true that, over the last four years, the mining boom has pumped $300 billion above original estimates into the budget, allowing the government to spend up big in an election year? In the light of that, why has the government failed to make any new infrastructure investment in the budget to help resolve capacity constraints that are hindering development in regional Western Australia?