Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Leader in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, Senator Hutchins, it is desperately lagging behind other states. The latest national accounts figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that New South Wales experienced only a five per cent growth in state final demand from the March to June quarter. New South Wales experienced lower growth than even the Victorian economy, which grew by three per cent. In further embarrassment to the New South Wales economy we find that it is also growing at a slower rate than the Tasmanian, Western Australian and South Australian economies.

As a result of the reckless mismanagement of the New South Wales economy, now federal Labor has been forced to intervene in what can only be described as the politically motivated spending spree. Every day we are seeing more and more examples of how Labor’s reckless and politically motivated spending is totally and utterly out of control. In turn, this will put pressure on interest rates and result in higher taxes.

Let us look at the $550 million in so-called community infrastructure grants. Earlier, in question time, we heard Senator Arbib fluffing and carrying on and not answering the question about this program because what is actually happening here is that the federal Labor government is coming in and helping New South Wales Labor by assisting predominantly Labor electorates. One only has to look at the article in today’s Financial Review which looks at infrastructure spending and asks where the $550 million of community infrastructure grants have gone. Interestingly enough, grants have gone to the federal seat of Robertson. We won’t go there! Robertson has become very famous, or infamous, as a consequence of the antics of its local member. Then there is Bennelong, another marginal Labor seat.