Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (NT, Country Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

ator NAMPIJINPA PRICE () (): I rise to take note of the answer from the Minister representing the Prime Minister with regard to the Rockhampton Ring Road. We are beginning to see a pattern emerge here of this government's continual backflipping on commitments that are vital to projects in the regions. For Senator Wong to attempt to belittle the former coalition government's $1 billion-plus commitment to the Rockhampton Ring Road as a non-budgeted, undefined commitment when it had already gone to tender is a huge insult. It's an insult to the businesses and to the families of Rockhampton. Labor's delaying of federal funding for the Rockhampton Ring Road is very distressing for the community and driving uncertainty for businesses. The community is crying out for this critical infrastructure project. Businesses in the area now have to hope to win work in the short to medium term for the ring-road.

Labor members across all levels of government, including local government and state government, must demand that Anthony Albanese deliver this much-needed funding for the Rockhampton region. The project would have delivered 17.4 kilometres of new roadway, incorporating 18 bridges totalling six kilometres in length. The new ring-road would have reduced congestion and improved safety for Rockhampton by providing an alternative route, especially for heavy vehicles. But this insult to local businesses and to their families demonstrates that this government has no qualms about abandoning the regions when the regions need them the most.

It is deeply concerning for me as a representative of the Northern Territory because of the commitments that have been made to the Northern Territory. It is regional Australia that supports the entire nation in energy production, agriculture and food, yet this government continues to break promises and, instead, is making life harder for those in the regions. So I am now concerned: what else is this government prepared to slash for the regions in this up and coming budget?

The Outback Way, linking industries and tourism from Queensland, through the Northern Territory, over to Western Australia is a vital piece of infrastructure, going forward, to three regions. Do the transport logistics hubs that support our resources sector, not only for the Northern Territory but for the entire nation, now hang in the balance? These hubs would support jobs for Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine and the communities in-between, where some of our most marginalised Australians live, where some of our most marginalised Australians require opportunities to benefit their lives as well as those in the regions who are, like all other Australians, facing increases to their electricity bills.

We've heard another promise—we heard it over and over again in the lead-up to the election—of $275 being slashed from everyday Australians' electricity bills: another promise down the gurgler. So I'm deeply concerned for the regions, for the Northern Territory, for some of the places that are out of sight and out of mind to the rest of Australia. Make no mistake, this budget will be propping up the cities, propping up those who already have availability of services and opportunities, and it will be propping them up at the expense of those in the regions.

This is not a happy time, going forward, for regional Australia. I'm sure that will be evidenced later tonight, when we bear witness to how the regions are going to miss out.

Question agreed to.