The Federal Member for Page Janelle Saffin today poses the burning question to the National Party candidate for Page

“Please fess up and tell us how much Federal roads money will our local councils lose in order to fund the duplication of the Princes Highway in the Shadow Finance Minister Andrew Robb’s home State of Victoria?”

The Liberal and National Parties have admitted they will have to pillage the Rudd Labor Government’s Roads to Recovery Program – a $350 million a year initiative that helps all councils and shires maintain their local roads – to fund their promise to upgrade the Princes Highway outside Melbourne.

When asked last week how the Opposition planned to fund this promise, Mr Robb told two local media outlets that the money would come out of the Roads to Recovery budget!

Ms Saffin said: “I’ve sat in the House this week, and despite having many opportunities to do so, Mr Robb didn’t rise to his feet to issue a correction or retraction.  His silence speaks for itself!”

“So I call on the National Party candidate to find out from his Party masters and tell our local councils in Page how much they are in line to lose should they win government”

In 2010 – 2014 the Roads to Recovery allocations currently are under this Government:

Ballina Shire Council - $2,863,655
Clarence Valley Council -  $7,335,779
Kyogle Council -  $3,738,919
Lismore City Council - $4,567,416
Richmond Valley Council - $3,467,402         

Total: $21,973,171

The Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Anthony Albanese said in the House yesterday afternoon when speaking on his Matter of Public Importance (MPI) and I quote:

“The Member for Cowper ignored the fact that the Rudd government has committed $3.1billion to the Pacific Highway. That compares with $1.3billion during their entire 12 years in office. Almost three times as much in half the time is our commitment…….They need to come clean about where these cuts will be, they have been caught out….  the Coalition has a hit list …. when they came to government in 1996, they cut the roads budget by $2 billion over their first eight budgets.”
2 June, 2010