Jamie Briggs (Mayo, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development) Share this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I add my congratulations on your appointment as Speaker. You have already shown, I think, the reason why so many of your colleagues supported you in the ballot and why the parliament unanimously endorsed your appointment as Speaker. It is great to see that the Carlton Football Club has not only won the first draft this year but also won the Speakership. Well done, Mr Speaker.

I have been wondering why this MPI was put up today. I was quite interested to know why. We were a bit surprised after the TWU in Western Australia came out over the weekend endorsing the Perth Freight Link, contrary to Labor Party policy. In fact the boss of the TWU said, 'This is not going to make my mates in the Western Australian Labor Party very happy, and certainly not the member for Perth, but this is a vital project and we absolutely support it.' That is what the TWU secretary said over the weekend. So I was a bit surprised when this MPI was presented by the member for Perth. I wondered if it was because the member for Grayndler is not here and she is trying to trail her coat for the infrastructure portfolio. Add to that the fact that last night the independent Infrastructure Australia released its latest reports on projects that the federal government is funding, as committed by the government at the election for projects over $100 million. This report showed that the Perth Freight Link has a cost-benefit analysis of 2.8—a fantastic investment.

But then it struck me. The member for Perth wanted this MPI today because she was completely skewered on the weekend by the outstanding finance minister, Mathias Cormann, and the WA transport minister, Dean Nalder, about the history of the Perth Freight Link.

Ms MacTiernan interjecting—

See this speech in context