Independent Federal Member for Indi Helen Haines has backed a new report by the Grattan Institute detailing the dire state of roads in rural and regional Australia. The report highlights that there is not enough funding in the system and calls on the Federal Government to invest at least $1 billion annually to meet the road maintenance shortfall.

I’m committed to smart action on climate change, not just because it’s good and needed for our planet but because we know that renewables and electrification mean people save money.

As a regional Independent, I want my local communities, and others like them in regional, rural, and remote Australia, to benefit—to truly benefit—from hosting these large-scale, mostly foreign owned renewable energy developments.

As part of this year’s campaign, 22-year-old Jye McBurnie from Wodonga in my electorate of Indi has written a speech that addresses the scourge of family and domestic violence.

As taxpayers, is it too much to hope that our taxes are spent in the public interest and based on evidence, on a cost-benefit analysis or on where the need is greatest?

Dr Haines’ motion proposes the Government introduce legislation to reform grants administration. Such reforms would ensure grant guidelines and selection criteria are clear and publicly available, that public reporting on grants administration includes grants that are awarded contrary to advice given to the Minister, and a Parliamentary Joint Committee on Grants Administration would provide administrative oversight.

While the Housing Australia Investment Mandate briefly mentions the housing needs of regional, rural and remote Australia, the guidelines do not explicitly require money to be spent on regional, rural and remote housing projects.

Independent Federal Member for Indi Helen Haines has welcomed the announcement that a new bridge will be built on Indigo Creek Road, after the Federal Government awarded $1.24 million to the project through the Bridges Renewal Program.

What was on the table was not a good deal for regional Australia, and we have seen little progress and compromise by the European Union, so this was the right call for us.

My amendments further strengthen the inspector-general’s powers to make sure the states and projects are delivering.