Kevin Hogan (Page, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I have rewritten this MPI to make more sense. I have rewritten it to say: how is the government investing in Australian jobs and well-planned infrastructure? It is a shame I only have five minutes, because I could literally take up 50! I will go through some very clear examples in my electorate of how we are investing in well-planned infrastructure and also in Australian jobs.

I am going to start with the Pacific Highway. The Pacific Highway has about $7 billion left to be spent on it. Five billion dollars of that alone is going to be spent on the Ballina to Woolgoolga section. We know that the primary reason that we invest in infrastructure on highways like this is to reduce fatalities. The Pacific Highway now has the lowest level of fatalities that it has had in decades. That is because the number of fatalities has fallen markedly in the areas where the dual duplication has been completed. However, in the areas where the dual duplication has not been completed there are still far too many fatalities. That is the primary reason.

Also, obviously, there were 3,000 to 4,000 direct jobs created during its construction. And when you count the indirect jobs, there were anywhere up to about 10,000 jobs that resulted from this dual duplication—which is wonderful. On its completion, it is going to be wonderful for my community and communities around because commerce, transport, tourism will all be so much easier—all because of this well-planned piece of infrastructure.

Why do I mention the highway? I mention it because there was a difference at the last election between us and the previous government. I acknowledge that the previous federal government were at one stage funding 80 per cent of the Pacific Highway—with 20 per cent state funding. However, when there was a change in state government they quite cynically wanted to change the funding formula, and they only funded 50 per cent with 50 per cent state funding. We went to the previous election with a promise to reinstate the 80-20 rule, to make sure that this really important piece of infrastructure was maintained in order to reduce fatalities, to bring in jobs and to continue the other things—and we have done that.

Just a month or so ago I had the great pleasure of opening the office of Pacific Complete in Grafton. Pacific Complete won the tender to lead the consortium for the Ballina to Woolgoolga section upgrade. Up to 200 people alone are going to be working just for Pacific Complete, who are responsible for managing the project between Ballina and Woolgoolga. Again, this will be a great piece of infrastructure—and there will be jobs.

We have increased Roads to Recovery spending to local councils around the country enormously. There are five in my electorate: Kyogle used to get $700,000; we are going to give them $2 million per year over the next two years. Ballina was $590,000, and is going to get $1.8 million per year over the next two years. Clarence Valley used to get $1.4 million; we are going to be giving them $4 million per year over the next two years. Lismore at $880,000, will be getting $2½ million per year, and Richmond Valley at $700,000 a year, will be getting over $2 million per year. Again, increase in infrastructure—well-planned infrastructure—and job creation.

There are 11 new base stations for mobile phones in my electorate: Babyl Creek, Copmanhurst, two at Bonalbo, Ettrick, Bentley, Hernani, Lower Peacock, Nymboida and Culmaran Creek. These are great examples of infrastructure spend and job creation

I notice a difference in the words of the other side from earlier in the year about the free trade agreements. The biggest private employer in my electorate is the Northern Cooperative Meat Company in Casino. They employ 1,200 people. The free trade agreement with China is exceptionally important to them. They are very happy with it, because China has gone from almost negligible on their sales sheet to now being one of the biggest buyers of both frozen and chilled beef from that cooperative. I know that the 1,200 people who work there are very happy that they will export 70 per cent to per cent of their product under this free trade agreement. Norco Cooperative, another very big private employer in my electorate, is starting to export fresh milk to China and other countries and they are very happy with the agreement.

I could go on about the farming community, the Maccas, the beef and the dairy. They are all very happy with this free trade agreement. We are into job creation and we are into well-planned infrastructure spend.

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