The Rudd Government’s ‘Better Regions’ program, Labor’s version of the previous government’s ‘Regional Partnerships’ program, is not being subject to due process or departmental assessment.
The Nationals’ Senator for New South Wales, Fiona Nash, said that while the Rudd Government believes the previous government’s ‘Regional Partnerships’ program was not subject to proper processes, the ALP’s replacement program, ‘Better Regions’, is subject to no due process whatsoever.
“For a government so new, the emergence of good old ALP hypocrisy and arrogance is breath-taking,” Senator Nash said.
“Senate estimates revealed that the Rudd Government’s $176 million ‘Better Regions’ program has been fully committed and is made up entirely of Labor’s five weeks worth of election promises.”
Senator Nash said that at time last year’s election, there were another 494 projects waiting to be assessed, on top of 116 that had already been approved.
“We now learn through Senate Estimates that those 494 projects have no hope,” she said.
“We also learned that those communities will not be able to apply for project funding through the ‘Better Regions’ program until mid-2009, thanks to the current funding allocation being fully committed to Labor’s election promises.”
Senator Nash said the Rudd Government’s six-month branding of regional communities as “rorters” has been an appalling way to treat those communities.
“The Bribbaree Water and Progress Association have been granted $12,175 under ‘Regional Partnerships’ to repair termite damage and guttering to the Bribbaree Memorial Hall,” she said.
“A week ago, Labor was happy to brand community groups like these as ‘rorters’. The Rudd Government should apologise for the insult and slur that has been felt throughout regional communities as a result.”
Contact – Alan Jenkins 0447 340 025
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