Mr PASIN (Barker) (10:46): I move: That this House: (1) notes that: (a) Australia's severe and intense weather events over recent years have placed immense pressure on the nation's regional, rural, and remote road network; (b) the Australian Local Government Association estimates that the cost of repairing and replacing flood impacted roads is at least $3.8 billion in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria alone; and (c) the Government has scrapped the specifically targeted Bridges Renewal Program and Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program which, when combined, were valued at $193.5 million per annum by 2026-27; (2) acknowledges that the federal budget saw financial assistance grants to local government cut as a percentage of tax revenue from 0.52 per cent to 0.50 per cent in stark contrast to councils' long-term aim of achieving 1.0 per cent of tax revenue; and (3) calls on the Government to invest in Australia's regional, rural and remote road network to support local governments, and improve road safety and freight productivity. I am grateful to the House for the opportunity to debate this motion. In short, it's a motion that calls on those opposite who, contrary to the previous speaker, might not be aware that they are in charge of the agenda and, indeed, the nation to increase investment in Australia's rural, regional and remote road network to support local governments, improve road safety and freight productivity. I'm so pleased that the member opposite—the relevant minister, who, prior to coming to this place, was a mayor of her local community—is here to listen to this. My message to the member for Eden-Monaro is: why aren't you standing up on behalf of your former colleagues, the mayors across the country? Ms McBain: That's why we've doubled Roads to Recovery. Mr PASIN: I'll take the interjection. The member opposite says, 'We've doubled Roads to Recovery.' So, ladies and gentlemen in the gallery, Roads to Recovery was set at $500 million. The local government sector asked this government to increase it to $800 million. Do you know what they've done? They've increased it to a billion dollars. We should all be very happy about that, shouldn't we? Because it has gone from $500 million to a billion dollars. In anyone's language, that's an increase. But unfortunately, like everything with this government, you need to read the fine print, because the spin's one thing, and the reality is something else. So I'm so pleased that the member opposite, who has responsibility for this space, has raised Roads to Recovery, because the reality is that it will get to a billion dollars in 10 years time. It's $500 million today. The local government sector asked for $800 million, and those opposite said: 'You know what. We'll knock it up by $50 million a year.' But that's not what they told the community. They told the community, 'We're increasing ceasing it to a billion dollars', and so they are. But my 15-year-old will be 25 by the time that happens. News flash for those opposite: the way they're operate the economy, inflation will be such that a billion dollars in 10 years time may well be something closer to $500 million today. Those opposite need to be very careful about these really cute arguments. The reality is that there are 800,000 kilometres of road network in this country, and 600,000 of it is managed by the good people who work and volunteer their time—I'm talking about members of local government—to manage that road network. Those opposite want us to see increased wages. I don't want to live in a low wage Australia, but the only way we achieve this— Mr Brian Mitchell interjecting— Mr PASIN: Those opposite are actually creating the working poor by having inflation grow faster than wages, so you have real wage decreases. The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Dr Freelander ): Order! Mr PASIN: Let them go, Mr Deputy Speaker. They unfortunately bear themselves out. The DEPUTY SPEAKER: No. Mr PASIN: The reality is that the only way you can sustain higher increases in wages in this country is to drive productivity. Those opposite need to realise that wage increases can't just happen; they need to be on the back of productivity increases. That's why we need to be investing in this road network. We need to make it cheaper to get our products from rural and regional Australia to the market and to the port. That's how we drive higher lifestyle outcomes in this country. While I'm on the topic of local government, and while I have the minister opposite, local government also asks for a higher share of tax revenue to go to local government. When we left office, the share was 0.52 per cent. The aim for local government is to drive it to one per cent. But do you know what it is today? It's 0.5 per cent. I appreciate that's a modest decrease, but it's heading in the wrong direction. I don't blame the member opposite. Unfortunately, she's not the senior minister, and, in a way, I don't even blame the senior minister. It's those in ERC that need to take a serious look at what they're doing in this country. They're cancelling the Bridges Renewal Program. Ms McBain: You froze indexation. Mr PASIN: I think we've tickled a nerve, because the minister opposite is getting upset. We may have frozen funding, but you've cut funding. You cancelled bridges renewal and the Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program. You will own this. The roads are decaying, and it's not going to change. The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Is the motion seconded? Mr Birrell: I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.