Andrew Robb (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and COAG and Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader on Emissions Trading Design) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. I refer the Treasurer to his previous answer and to the fact that not one dollar available for spending in the nation-building fund has been generated by the Rudd government, with every dollar coming from the Howard-Costello government surpluses inherited by this government.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

Andrew Robb (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and COAG and Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader on Emissions Trading Design) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When does the Treasurer expect his government to be in a position to actually put money into these funds?

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for Trade might be keen to provide an answer as well, but the Treasurer is going to provide an answer.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I certainly welcome the question because we are proud of our nation building investment funds, to which we have allocated thus far $26 billion. We are proud of them. The legislation, I think, is in the House, is it not? The legislation is in the House and, when it passes, the funds will be deposited and we can engage in a conversation with the Australian people about how we are going to build the nation and invest in infrastructure, unlike those opposite who did not invest in critical economic infrastructure. They left it all to the states and they did nothing.

This weekend, we have a COAG meeting where we are getting together with the state governments for a fundamental reform of federal-state relations. Front and centre of that is infrastructure, which is absolutely critical to this country as we build our wealth creation capacity and make up for the wasted years under Howard and Costello—the wasted years that Access Economics was talking about—

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order which goes to relevance. The Treasurer was asked when the Rudd government is going to contribute one dollar to these funds. He is not answering the question.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Treasurer will respond to the question.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

1 January.