Road Funding

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart) (14:16): My question is for the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure. Why has the government still not submitted a funded proposal to Infrastructure Australia for the sealing of the Strzelecki Track given that the government knows that an unfunded proposal cannot be fully assessed by Infrastructure Australia?

Mr Knoll: Another example of the minister not doing his homework.

The SPEAKER: The member for Schubert is called to order

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister for Housing and Urban Development) (14:16): Unfortunately, the member for Stuart's question is not framed correctly. He said that an unfunded proposal cannot be assessed by Infrastructure Australia. I understand that colloquially the expression is 'chicken and egg'. If a project was fully funded, why would it need assessment by Infrastructure Australia? Unfortunately for the member for Stuart, he is yet another in the conga line of members of the Liberal Party nationally making excuses for the federal government as to why they are not funding these projects.

The SPEAKER: Point of order.

Mr PISONI: Debate.

The SPEAKER: What, because of the use of the expression 'conga line'? It didn't end where it did on another occasion.