Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Hansard source

and unfortunately they made no progress during the term of the previous government. However, we are committed to the north. We are committed to ensuring that northern Australia is able to achieve its potential. There are significant commitments in that area in the last federal budget. There is substantial expenditure on roads—the Bruce Highway, in the honourable member's electorate; the Barkly Highway; the Leichhardt; Roads to Recovery; the bridges program—all of which will be of significant benefit to the north. There is funding also for the Northern Territory, an extra $77 million for their highways, and of course in north-western Western Australia as well.

We will be looking at the broader opportunities for development in northern Australia. I believe that northern Australia can play a bigger role in our national economy, and the coalition government is determined to make that happen.

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