Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for COAG) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the minister representing the minister for regional Australia, regional development and local government, Senator Conroy. I refer the minister to Regional Development Australia Fund grants in relation to Western Sydney. Can the minister advise why 10 days ago the Prime Minister suddenly invited 19 Western Sydney applicants for funding to submit full RDA Fund applications during her week-long stay in Sydney's west? Why is it now the case, as reported in the Weekend Australian of 16 March, that apparently only three of these funding applications for projects in Western Sydney under the RDA Fund will now be allowed to proceed to full assessment status in this round, and how will those three be selected?