Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

When you write your supplementary question before you hear the first answer, you are going to end up sometimes in a slightly embarrassing position. I have just read to you from the communique that Premier Bartlett has signed. It is quite clear. As you appear not to have heard it the first time, I will happily read it to you a second time. It says:

... a process to ensure that there is no substitution of capital effort by the states in the areas of schools, energy-efficient homes, social housing, regional roads, black spots and boom gates, overseen by heads of treasuries and reporting to COAG through the Ministerial Council for Federal Financial Relations.

It is set out in black and white. There has just been a joint press conference. Perhaps in your rush to get the question through the tactics committee this morning you did not get a chance to update it because of the announcement. This is now new information. (Time expired)