Kevin’s headline grab restores funding which had previously been scrapped

November 18, 2008

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has succeeded in grabbing another headline by simply restoring some of the funds which had been scrapped from other regional infrastructure and job creation programs.

 

Federal MP Luke Hartsuyker said the $300 million Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program announced today will assist cash starved communities who have felt the full effect of Kevin Rudd’s slash and burn approach to regional infrastructure funding.

 

“I welcome these funds for local councils and I encourage all local councils to carefully consider which projects are going to deliver the maximum benefit for their local community.

 

“However, the funding announced today does not replace the million of dollars in local projects which were scrapped when the Rudd Government was elected.

 

“These include the expansion of Sportz Central in Coffs Harbour, the construction of a vital rail bridge on the Glenreagh Mountain Railway and the expansion of Erksine Dental supplies in Macksvillle which would have created 30 new jobs.

 

“We must remember that in his first 12 months of office Kevin Rudd cut the $236 million Regional Partnerships program, the $200 million Growing Regions program and the Sustainable Regions programme which specifically set aside $12 million for job creation projects on the North Coast,” Mr Hartsuyker said.

 

“That has seen the loss of millions of dollars in local business investment and has cost scores of local jobs.”

 

Mr Hartsuyker the Rudd Government continued to shows signs of panic after axing many of the successful Coalition programmes.

 

“The reality is that if those programmes had not been axed, local economies would be far better positioned to absorb the economic crisis.

 

“I think Mr Rudd knows that, which is why he has made today’s announcement.”

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