Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery) Share this | Hansard source

Again, I inform the Senate that the program was not $550 million. The total local government program was $800 million. Of that $800 million, 53 per cent went to Labor electorates—remembering that 55 per cent of members of the House of Representatives are Labor. It was 53 per cent funding for 55 per cent. The coalition seats received 41 per cent of the funding across the country and you make up 42.6 per cent of the House of Representatives.

I also put on record, concerning the $550 million competitive element of the fund, that 137 projects were assessed independently by external auditors such as PricewaterhouseCoopers and McGrathNicol. Independent assessments, again, are something the Liberal Party knows nothing about. (Time expired)