Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House
3:13 pm
I wish to make a personal explanation.
Ms Anna Burke Deputy-Speaker
Does the Leader of the House claim to have been misrepresented?
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House
Yes.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House
Yesterday, during the consideration in detail stage in the Federation Chamber, I stated:
Under the former government, the Commonwealth put in $ 1.3 billion and the state government put in $2.5 billion for the Pacific Highway.
The Leader of the National Party then responded:
But it wasn't on the national network then. You—
that is, me personally—
put it on the national network.
That is not correct. Indeed, the determination of 12 October 2005 puts on the national network AusLink (National Land Transport) Act National Land Transport Network Determination 2005 (No.1), and on page 5, item No. 3, between Sydney and Brisbane, states:
The Pacific Highway from its junction with the New England Highway at Hexham and Pacific Motorway to the intersection with the Gateway Motorway at Eight Mile Plains, Brisbane.
That is signed 'Warren Truss', the Leader of the National Party, who said—
Ms Anna Burke Deputy-Speaker
The Leader of the House needs to show where he has been misrepresented.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House
that I put it on the highway. He did, and I table the document.
Warren Truss Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals
3:14 pm
Madam Deputy Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.
Ms Anna Burke Deputy-Speaker
Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?
Warren Truss Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals
The minister in the statement he just made is confusing the difference between the national highway Network 1, which this road was not a part of, and the general AusLink program. Therefore his explanation is completely misleading. It was the minister himself on the day when the Nation Building program was announced who put it on the national Network 1.