Barnaby Joyce (Queensland, National Party, Leader of The Nationals in the Senate) Share this | Link to 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 the government's decision last week to allow 19 applications for regional development funding from the Greater Western Sydney RDA to proceed to full application status. All other RDA organisations in Australia have been permitted just three applications to proceed to full application status. Does the minister think it is fair that Central Queensland, an area that produces 40 per cent of Queensland's coal, is allowed just three applications when 19 applications from Western Sydney are allowed to proceed to full application status? Why does the government believed that the entertainment precinct of Parramatta is deserving of the term 'regional', just as Cunnamulla, Birdsville and Quilpie are considered regional? Why would the entertainment precinct of Parramatta go to the next stage of this application funding when the government has rejected the Tennant Creek Child Care Centre?

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before I call the minister, that part of the question that asks for an opinion does not require a response. The question is given to you in your representational capacity as the Minister representing the Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I apologise; the press hounded me out of the room. I thank the senator for his question. The Gillard government has a strong record of delivering support to our regions. Our Regional Development Australia Fund of almost $1 billion supports Australia's regions and enhances the economic development and liveability of their communities. This government is building on the $4.3 billion investment announced in the 2011-12 budget by continuing to invest in regional health initiatives, education, liveability, skills and infrastructure in the 2012-13 budget. The government has established a $6 billion regional infrastructure fund to address critical infrastructure needs in areas supporting the mining industry, including $573 million allocated to RDAF.

We have committed to establishing a new RDA committee for Greater Western Sydney, home to two million people. Where Melbourne had four RDA committees, Sydney had one. Establishing a Greater Western Sydney RDA means that this region, which has a bigger population that South Australia, can more effectively identify projects that stack up and leverage partnership investments. The new Greater Western Sydney RDA will help unlock economic growth and improve liveability in the region. It will also strengthen the region's chance of securing investment through the RDAF. It is appropriate that all projects seeking funding are considered in the context of this new agreement. (Time expired)

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

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Coming from the princes of pork-barrelling in that far corner, let me be very clear. We have Auditor-General report after Auditor-General report demonstrating how corrupt the processes of the former government were when it came to allocating regional development funds. Senator Joyce, don't come in here and think you can, with a remote sense of credibility, complain about a proper process which is being gone through when you have the track record of those regional rorts and those regional rorters that the Auditor-General so cruelly exposed so regularly.

The projects seeking funding may address new priorities arising out of the MOU and the new RDA committee's engagement with the local communities. The independent RDAF panel will assess and prioritise Western Sydney region projects against the same criteria as all the other applications. (Time expired)

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

I note that it is not the same criteria, because—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! You need to ask the question. It is not a statement.

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

I remind the minister that the RDA fund was a promise that the government made to the Independents to secure their support. Having broken a promise to the member for Denison on poker reforms, having broken a promise to all Australians on the carbon tax and having broken a promise to deliver a surplus on the economy, is the government now going to break a promise made to its own Independent allies?

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I always enjoy Senator Joyce talking about broken promises. For those of us who have been in the chamber long enough—and, Mr President, you are one of them—we will remember: 'I will not vote for the sale of Telstra.' Senator Joyce ran on a platform; he said it; he campaigned on it; he came in here and he talked a big fight. Then he got in the room and, as usual, the little puppy dogs in the Nationals rolled over and let Mr Howard tickle their tummies and off they went—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Come to the question, Senator Conroy.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When it comes to broken promises in this chamber Senator Barnaby Joyce is example No. 1. This chamber has had to witness coalition—

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

Mr President, on a point of order on relevance—

Senator Conroy interjecting—

I am sorry, I cannot hear. There is someone trying to censure our comments.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Joyce, just address your question to me.

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

I rise on a point of order on relevance. Is the government going to break its promise to the Independents that this is going to go to authentic regional areas, or is it going to start using this to pork-barrel the Western Suburbs of Sydney? It is fine if they want to pork-barrel—they can go ahead and do it—just be upfront about it—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You are now debating it. There is no point of order. The minister has 11 seconds remaining.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The single greatest broken promise in this chamber was when you cast a vote to support the sale of Telstra, when you promised every Queenslander you would not, under any circumstance, do that Senator Joyce. (Time expired)