“Better Regions” are apparently only Labor regions
3rd June, 2008
Labor is preparing to spend nine-tenths of its entire “Better Regions” funds in seats it either won or targeted during the election, it has been reported today.The reports reveal the startling hypocrisy of the ALP, which condemned the Coalition for spending a much lower proportion of Regional Partnerships funds in Coalition seats, said the Leader of The Nationals, Warren Truss.
“Obviously, Labor believes the $176 million Better Regions program only funds Labor regions,” Mr Truss said.
“Labor’s pork-barrelling may in fact be far worse than reported today. Details are known of only 34 projects of the 105 that Labor says it announced during the election campaign.
“Mysteriously, the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Anthony Albanese, and his department are refusing to release details about the remaining 71 projects. What exactly are they hiding?
“Unlike Labor, I have never suggested that particular local projects are not worthy of funding. The Coalition set up Regional Partnerships so that local communities could get access to funds for needed infrastructure that they otherwise would struggle to find. All the projects needed community support and funding commitments from other sources, such as State or Local government.
“While a very small number of Regional Partnerships projects were not successful, more than 1400 vital projects were funded in areas of need around Australia. All were assessed and only 3 percent were funded without departmental support.
“None of Labor’s promises went through any sort of approval process at all – except for a half dozen of this 34 that had previously been rejected by what is now Mr Albanese’s own department.
“We are not sure what criteria Labor is using to approve these projects – before the election Kevin Rudd said there would be a three-step process including departmental approval.
“But since then, Mr Rudd and frontbenchers like Senator Stephen Conroy have said repeatedly that Labor would meet all of its election commitments. What do we believe?
“Labor’s concocted outrage about Regional Partnerships has come back to haunt it, especially now that Mr Albanese has admitted the projects the Coalition promised to support under that program are in fact ‘really good’.
“Mr Albanese must now reveal all the projects - and in which electorates - are going to receive funding under Better Regions,” Mr Truss said.
