Today, John Cobb has extended the meaning of ‘bogan’ to include ‘not showing up’.

I met with his constituents, the Bogan Shire Council, today and listened to their case for a $6 million heated swimming pool.

In fact, I waited for 10 minutes before starting the meeting to give Mr Cobb the opportunity to show up.

Perhaps he was ashamed to turn up because he voted with his Liberal Party mates against the Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program. This is the same program from which the Bogan Shire was seeking funding.

If Mr Cobb had shown up, he would have had to admit that the previous government only ever gave a $24,851 grant to the Bogan Shire Council in the time that he was a minister.

This is typical of the opportunism of the National Party. They never fail to turn up to the local photo opportunity for projects in their electorates but when the time comes to vote for the project, they are nowhere to be seen.

All bark and no punch.

The Rudd Labor Government has already provided an extra $100,000 this year to the Bogan Shire Council for a new multipurpose pavilion at the Nyngan Showground. That’s four times what they got when Mr Cobb was a minister in John Howard’s government.

Despite Mr Cobb’s failure to look after his constituents, the electorate of Calare is receiving an extra $5,044,000 this year for 95 projects under the Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program.

The Rudd Labor Government has delivered funding for community projects in every electorate, regardless of political party.

We are funding more than 3,300 community projects across Australia, such as the Nyngan Showground.

I’m sure Mr Cobb will be there at the launch of every one of the projects in his electorate, elbowing local mayors out of the camera shot.

Sadly, today he deserted the people of Bogan Shire, who probably expected better from their local MP.