Turnbull under fire over 'dudding' SA

Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten have exchanged fire over the federal budget's treatment of South Australia.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at the ASC naval shipyard in Osborne

Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten have exchanged fire over the federal budget's treatment of SA. (AAP)

Labor leader Bill Shorten says South Australia has been "dudded" on road and rail funding in the federal budget.

The budget unveiled last week included about $3 billion in infrastructure spending for SA.

Mr Shorten, who visited an Adelaide school on Tuesday, said not one dollar of the spending was new money.

"Not an extra kilometre of new road, not an extra piece of new rail line, not an extra tram track or train - there was nothing new in this budget," he told reporters.

"Mr Turnbull has wiped his hands of South Australia."

The state was receiving 4.5 per cent of the government's infrastructure budget despite it making up seven per cent of the population.

Mr Turnbull, who was also in SA on Tuesday unveiling an $89 billion shipbuilding plan, said the funding in the budget was "substantial" and was part of a broader economic plan.

"There is a substantial infrastructure commitment in the budget - well over $3 billion and the potential for more with the $10 billion rail fund," Mr Turnbull said.

SA Premier Jay Weatherill, who attended the event with Mr Shorten, said his state was sick of being lectured by the prime minister.

"I notice that Malcolm Turnbull is in town - once again lecturing people, patting us on the head and telling us that we should be grateful for the crumbs that have fallen from the commonwealth table," he said.

Mr Weatherill said just because the government was spending money on defence projects did not mean his state should not fight for better road and rail funding.


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2 min read
Published 16 May 2017 11:36am
Source: AAP


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