Manilla Road, Tamworth, Upgrading

The Hon. RICK COLLESS: My question without notice is directed to the Minister for Roads and campaign director for George Newhouse. When can Tamworth residents expect the State Government to deliver the funding necessary to upgrade Manilla Road, given that the Minister is now the third successive Minister to inspect the road's state of disrepair?

The Hon. ERIC ROOZENDAAL: I took the opportunity when I was at the regional Cabinet meeting hosted in Tamworth to have a look at the Manilla Road issue, together with the Independent member for that area.

[Interruption]

I believe that once upon a time Tamworth used to be a Nationals seat but, like so many other seats, it has been lost to The Nationals, who are on the slippery slide down towards oblivion. They have only nine seats left. While we are reflecting on The Nationals, and since it is the end of the week, I checked where the Hon. Jennifer Gardiner was handing out how-to-vote cards on election day, to see how The Nationals went in her area. Of course, there was no Nationals candidate so they got zero votes, and as a result I cannot tell members what the swing was there. I am well aware of the issues relating to Manilla Road, and we are looking at them.