Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Centre Alliance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister. There have been three tragic deaths on roads in Strathalbyn, in Mayo, in the last fortnight. South Australia has nearly 12 per cent of Australia's local roads and seven per cent of the nation's population but receives just 5.5 per cent of federal local road funding. To remedy this imbalance, South Australia received supplementary road funding, but this was cut by the Abbott government in 2014. Centre Alliance successfully negotiated with the Turnbull government to reinstate $40 million of supplementary road funding over two years, but this will end in June 2019. Deputy Prime Minister, will you commit to extend South Australia's supplementary road funding beyond June 2019 so that we can have an equitable share of federal road funding?

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Mayo for her question. We'll be pleased to consider all these things when we produce a surplus budget, because that's what surplus budgets enable you to do: to provide more of the roads infrastructure, more of the infrastructure that Australians need, want, expect and deserve. To the member for Mayo: any death on a road is a tragic death, and we work towards zero—and I know that is the goal of all of us; I know it is the shadow minister's objective, as we have stood together at many forums to work towards a zero road toll—and put in place actions and measures to do just that.

We understand the importance of investing in infrastructure better than most. The Liberals and Nationals—that's what we do. We understand the importance of getting people home sooner and safer, whether it's in South Australia, in the member's electorate, or wherever it is across this great nation. We have committed $5.2 billion to land transport infrastructure in the member's state since coming to office in 2013. In the most recent budget alone, we've committed an additional $1.76 billion for new infrastructure projects across South Australia, including but not limited to $1.2 billion for future stages of the north-south corridor. Just recently I was there with the minister, Stephan Knoll, and the premier, looking at that vital piece of infrastructure. There is $177 million for the north-south corridor, the Regency Road to Pym Street, and $220 million—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Mayo on a point of order.

Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Centre Alliance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, on direct relevance. I was asking about supplementary road funding. It's a particular bucket of money.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I heard the minister in his opening remarks, I think he answered that directly with respect to consideration in the upcoming budget, and he's now speaking on the subject of roads. So, the Deputy Prime Minister is completely in order.

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You don't have to go for the full three minutes!

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The opposition leader says that I don't have to go for the full three minutes. But when you've got such a good story to tell about infrastructure, you can—and you should—go for the full three minutes. I should be asking for an extension of time, because it wouldn't be long enough to go through the full suite of measures that we're doing for South Australia and that we're doing for infrastructure across Australia—$75 billion, a record amount that we're spending on infrastructure to get Australians home sooner and safer.

As far as the supplementary road funding is concerned, all these commitments have been complemented by $40 million in that road funding to further assist South Australian councils to upgrade and maintain local roads. This commitment in the 2017-18 budget follows strong advocacy, I have to say, from South Australian MPs, including the member for Barker, the member for Boothby and the member for Grey. They are strong campaigners for more road funding. They are committed to making sure that we do everything we can to get Australians home sooner and safer. But I have to say, there's a new breath of fresh air in South Australia, and it is the new government. Since they've taken over from Jay Weatherill, you can see the new signs of positivity in South Australians. You can see that the economy of South Australia has got a whole lot better under the Marshall government than it ever did under the Weatherill government.