Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for Forrest for her question. We announced in the budget the biggest infrastructure package Australia has ever had—an infrastructure package that actually builds new roads and new airports, and facilitates investment in public transport and a range of other initiatives that are going to help to create jobs because we believe the best way to build prosperity in Australia and the best way to build prosperity for families is that you have good jobs, well-paid jobs, that enhance the wealth of individuals. We increased infrastructure expenditure by $16.4 billion in comparison with what the Labor Party would have had over the same period of time.

Those projects are about creating jobs immediately, because, as we know, the mining construction boom has been coming off as mining has been going into a production phase. That is why we struck deals with individual state governments to roll out infrastructure that creates jobs now. One of those infrastructure projects was the East West Link, which now employs 250 people—right now.

The member for McMahon and the Leader of the Opposition said that they do not tear up contracts: 'Labor does not tear up contracts.' Well, we will wait and see, because Dan Andrews says he is going to tear up the contract. Dan Andrews says he is going to sack 7,000 people. Dan Andrews says he is going to have to pay a billion dollars of compensation to a building company that has not built a road. I would say to the Labor Party: either you honour contracts or you tear them up.

But whatever it is, you can be sure of this: you can never trust Labor on infrastructure and you can never trust Labor on jobs, because, as we stand today, Australians would not have cheaper electricity if Labor were re-elected. Australians would have a mining tax and a handbrake on the mining industry if Labor were re-elected. Australians would not have the biggest infrastructure program in Australia's history if Labor were re-elected. Australians would not have a government that is starting to get the budget under control, to address the legacy of debt and deficit left behind by Labor; that would certainly not be the case if Labor were re-elected. There would be no free trade agreements. There would be no deregulation agenda. There would be no fast approvals for major projects. Those are the sorts of initiatives that deliver the jobs and the prosperity that the Australian people expect and want.

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