Kim Carr Victoria, Australian Labor Party
3:03 pm
My question without notice is to the Minister representing the Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure, Senator Cash. Can the minister confirm that the Urban Congestion Fund will provide funding for projects in every Liberal seat in Melbourne, including $240 million for the seat of Higgins, while the seats of Gellibrand, Lalor and Maribyrnong in Melbourne's west will receive nothing?
Michaelia Cash WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business
3:04 pm
I thank Senator Carr for the question. Senator Carr, you would be aware that Urban Congestion Fund projects will be funded in Labor seats. This is a $4 billion fund, as you know, and it is all about bringing to life 166 crucial projects. Construction will start on 70 of them this year. Four are already underway, with geotechnical investigations and other preparatory work underway on many more. As the Minister for Finance has stated—
Kim Carr Victoria, Australian Labor Party
On relevance, Mr President. I asked a specific question about seats in Melbourne—not the general program, but seats in Melbourne.
Scott Ryan President
I didn't catch every word in the question. I remind the minister of that part of the question. I believe—and I'm happy to be corrected—there was an earlier part that asked the minister to confirm funding about seats more generally as well.
Senator Kim Carr interjecting—
Well, I've allowed you to remind the minister of the question. Senator Cash.
Michaelia Cash WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business
Senator Carr, I can confirm that these are election commitments made by the government. You may have forgotten, but the Australian people voted in May last year to re-elect the coalition government. As a result, these decisions of the government are now being implemented. I can confirm in relation to Victoria the following: $70 million for the Northern Lines commuter car parking, in the seats of Calwell and McEwen; $50 million for upgrades of the Calder Freeway and the M80 ring road, in Gorton and McEwen; $50 million for upgrades on the Hume Freeway and the M80 ring road, again in the seat of McEwen; $50 million for upgrades on the Western Freeway—
Scott Ryan President
Order, Senator Cash. I've got Senator Gallagher on a point of order.
Katy Gallagher ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
It's similar to Senator Carr's point of order.
Honourable senators interjecting—
Katy Gallagher ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
It's the same point that Senator Carr made. The question was actually quite specific and named a number of seats. The minister is deliberately avoiding answering the question that was asked. It was not a general question—
Katy Gallagher ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
It was drafted specifically, and the minister should be specific.
Mathias Cormann WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council
Mr President, on the point of order: the question included a number of assertions and accusations, and the minister is directly relevant in responding to those.
Penny Wong SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
On the point of order: the only assertions contained in the question, which we're happy for the minister to respond to, were that there's $240 million for the seat of Higgins and nothing for Gellibrand, Lalor or Maribyrnong. That's a pretty reasonable set of facts for the minister to respond to, and she hasn't responded to them. Direct relevance, Mr President. I ask you to call her to order.
Scott Ryan President
I have taken some advice from the Clerk because I admitted a second ago that this is not a question I managed to get notes of. You reminded the minister of the question. I do believe that, if asked a question about seats in Melbourne receiving funding under this program, it is directly relevant for a minister to answer that by asserting other seats in that same location were part of the program. But I am listening carefully to the answer, as I appreciate the question was specifically asked. You've reminded the minister of the specific nature of the question. I ask her to continue keeping that in mind. Senator Cash.
Michaelia Cash WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business
Mr President, as I was saying, we are actually providing urban congestion funding in Labor seats in Victoria—$50 million for upgrades on the Western Freeway and the M80 ring road, in the seats of Fraser and Gorton. We took these projects to the election in May last year and the Australian people endorsed the plan of action that the coalition government took to the election. (Time expired)
Michaelia Cash WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business
Again, these are decisions of government.
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Opposition Senators:
Opposition senators interjecting—
Michaelia Cash WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business
They are not competitive grants. There is a fundamental difference between what those on the opposition side of the chamber keep yelling out and what they actually are. You may not like it, but these were commitments that we took to the election—just like you took commitments to the election: Labor's election commitments. I believe that every single election commitment that Labor made that we're aware of was in Labor or target seats. The fact of the matter is you still cannot get over the fact that the Australian people endorsed the plan of action that we took to the election. They endorsed the plan of action that does see funding go to Labor seats. They endorsed the plan of action that takes into account a number of factors.
Penny Wong SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
You know it's not your money. It's taxpayers' money, not yours.
Michaelia Cash WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business
It is taxpayers' money and it is being expended appropriately. (Time expired)
Scott Ryan President
Senator Carr, a final supplementary question?
Senator Carr, a final supplementary question?
Kim Carr Victoria, Australian Labor Party
3:09 pm
Given that the minister's just confirmed that this was not a competitive grants program, can the minister explain how it is that this government has allocated $5 million for a Regional Roads grant in Bellarine Peninsula to fix urban congestion in Corangamite but nothing for the seats of Ballarat and Bendigo, which have had sizeable population growth?
Michaelia Cash WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business
3:10 pm
This is a $4 billion fund. And guess what? The Australian people voted for it. And guess what? It is bringing to life 166 crucial projects—
Kim Carr Victoria, Australian Labor Party
Does this now mean that you have to vote Liberal to get money from this government?
Scott Ryan President
Order! That wasn't a point of order. Senator Wong on a point of order?
Penny Wong SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
And I'll take Senator Abetz's interjection that that would be a good idea. I take that interjection, Senator Abetz.
Scott Ryan President
Order! Interjections and responses to them are always disorderly. I'll call Senator Cash to continue.
Michaelia Cash WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business
I completely reject Senator Carr's characterisation of the funding of these projects. We took this plan to the Australian people. The Australian people looked at our plan and said, 'We trust the coalition government to implement an urban congestion fund that is actually going to make a difference where it counts.' What they said to Labor, in relation to Labor's election commitments, is 'We don't trust you in relation to the commitments you have made', including Thompsons Road Extension—$65 million in La Trobe, Senator Carr, a seat that you were targeting—and in Queensland the Rochdale Road/Priestdale Road upgrade, for $14 million in the electorate of Bonner. The fact of the matter is that this was a plan endorsed by the Australian people that is vital to busting congestion in Australia. (Time expired)