Today in Question Time in the House of Representatives, the Member for Canberra, Alicia Payne, asked the Prime Minister:
Since coming to office, the Government has spent a total $5 billion less on infrastructure than it promised including $123 million less than it promised on blackspots.
Scott Morrison refused to give a straight answer when asked a straight question.
Without batting an eyelid, Scott Morrison used his oldest trick – blame the states.
The Leader of the Opposition then asked the Deputy Prime Minister to confirm the $5 billion infrastructure underspend.
Michael McCormack took the specifics of the question on notice.
Its own budget documents confirm that over its first five budgets, the Morrison Government over-promised and under-delivered on its whole infrastructure program by $5.1 billion.
Over the same period, this Government underspent on the important Blackspot road safety program by $123.5 million, including $75 million in 2016-17.
Scott Morrison’s infrastructure program is a political document, not an economic plan.
It is time the Morrison Government got to work on a real plan for infrastructure to create jobs, improve productivity and bust congestion.