Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Hansard source

Correct. I thank the member for Paterson for confirming. So after 11½ half years, and concern about the future by the member for Paterson, who of course was not a lay down misere to return to this place at that time—and I think by his smile he is acknowledging that too—then days before the election, the minister flies in and says, 'There is $780 million for the Hunter Expressway'. Well, who believed that—no-one. So we went to Senate estimates after the election just to find out what was the process and where was the money. Guess what? The cookie jar was bare. There was no $780 million at all.

So after 11½ half years but days before an election, they come into my region, our region, and mislead the local people. They mislead them into believing that finally after 11½ half years there they were with $780 million. By the way, I ask the member for Paterson, where is the balance? Where was the rest of the $1.7 billion going to come from?

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