Tasmania’s Labor MPs and Senators have abandoned regional communities by waving through the Albanese Government’s plan to slash federal funding for future road projects.

Their decision to slash federal funding for future regional road projects will have a massive impact on Tasmania’s ability to undertake critical road upgrades.

Every Federal Tasmanian Labor MP and Senator represents regional and rural communities which will now see federal funding for road projects under Labor fall from 80 per cent to just 50 per cent. In a small state like Tasmania, Labor’s cuts will mean Tasmania won’t be able to afford important future projects.

Member for Franklin Julie Collins is particularly culpable for this decision as a member of Cabinet which signed off on Tasmania being thrown under the bus. So too is Senator Brown, the Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport who helped design these funding cuts.

Tasmanian Deputy Premier Michael Ferguson has made clear that the impact of these Labor cuts will have serious implications for future regional road projects, as have the Labor state Governments in NSW, Queensland and Western Australia.

This is a disgraceful decision and Tasmania’s Labor members of the Government must answer for it.