Malarndirri McCarthy (NT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Indigenous Australians) Share this | Hansard source

I do thank the senator for the question. It's actually not the first time he's asked it; he asked it in Senate estimates in the RRAT committee in terms of the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program. Let me repeat, as we did in our responses to these questions, that the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program was a COVID-19 stimulus measure to fund local projects that would support local economies and create jobs during the pandemic. The Albanese Labor government has continued to back this program.

See, they're not interested. We continue to back the program, but let's remember the genesis of this. While making sure councils are supported to deliver valuable outcomes for local communities, we extended construction timelines for the program in 2023 to help councils complete their projects—some important detail that you always seem to overlook.