Barnaby Joyce (Queensland, National Party, Leader of The Nationals in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I refer to the fact that none of the regional grants so far from this fund have been made to areas in capital cities, which would make sense, because people would think that they were capital cities and urban areas, not regional areas. So why have regional projects such as the Cooktown foreshore development, the Gracemere water supply augmentation and the Richmond Shire Council water treatment plant been knocked back when all the applications for Western Sydney have been allowed to proceed? Why is the government being so disingenuous with this on-the-run, cynical redefinition of the term 'regional' when what it should really be talking about is a growth area? (Time expired)