Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Hansard source

Earlier this afternoon, Senator McKenzie continued to spread mistruths about supposed cuts to road safety spending. I am so tired of the Liberals' and Nationals' attempts to politicise road safety, so I will say once again, in the hope that Senator McKenzie may be listening, that there have been no cuts to the Mobile Black Spot Program, because this government takes road safety seriously. The Albanese government is continuing the precedent of budgeting $110 million towards the black spot program each year. Any unspent funds are simply rolled over into the following year's program, on top of the $110 million allocation. I would hope that, as a former minister within the infrastructure portfolio, Senator McKenzie would know that.

In its first budget, in October last year, the Albanese Labor government committed $9.6 billion in infrastructure spending across the country. The black spot program is just one of the fantastic and meaningful infrastructure initiatives funded by the Australian government to curb deaths and trauma on our roads. It is disappointing, but hardly surprising, that Senator McKenzie has chosen to spread fake news instead of working collaboratively in supporting regional communities. Communities have been a political football for the coalition for far too long. The black spot program targets road locations where crashes are occurring. It shouldn't be used as a political football.