QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE: TAKE NOTE OF ANSWERS

Senator DAVID POCOCK (Australian Capital Territory—Independent ACT Whip) (15:39): I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Finance (Minister Gallagher) to a question without notice I asked today relating to the Major and Local Community Infrastructure Program. In response to my question, the minister said: … I would challenge you.

If you think you can demonstrate that our commitments were targeted on marginal seats, you do that. I'm very happy to accept that challenge, and I would seek leave to table a report from the Centre for Public Integrity titled Public money, political advantage? Leave not granted.

Senator DAVID POCOCK: The minister says, 'This isn't pork-barrelling. We haven't targeted marginal seats,' and then the report shows that nearly half the money that the government made in election commitments went to marginal seats that the Labor government wanted to win. When I try to table that, the government says, 'No, you can't table the evidence.' The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Pocock, resume your seat.

Senator Sheldon? Senator Sheldon: Could Senator Pocock give us the courtesy of giving a copy to both the opposition and the government to have a look at first? The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: That is a debating point, Senator Sheldon.

I accept what you say. I'm not saying it's incorrect, but it is a debating point. Senator Pocock, you have the call.

Senator DAVID POCOCK: People should check out this report for themselves, because I hear from Canberrans a lot that they have had a gutful of pork-barrelling. You shouldn't have to live in a marginal seat to get funding that is needed for community sports and for community infrastructure that is needed. If this is according to the rules, let's change the rules, because these rules do not cut it.

You had a Labor Party that said in opposition that the coalition were pork-barrelling. They get into the hot seat, and they're doing the exact same thing. It does not cut it.

We have to do better as a country, and we deserve better as a country. We should have governments that make election commitments that are based on need not based on the seats that they want to win or the seats that they want to hold. This is damaging our democracy.

We are reducing trust in government, in institutions, in all of us, and it needs to end. Question agreed to.