Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for Bennelong for his question. All Australians know about our $50 billion infrastructure commitment—with commitments to major projects in every capital city and significant highway connections between regional centres, again in every state of Australia. We have revolutionised and got moving again the capacity in this country to provide infrastructure that is necessary to build our nation. We are getting on with the job and delivering.

I have to say, as the honourable member asked about what alternatives there might be, that I was somewhat surprised by the Leader of the Opposition, desperately trying to catch up some ground in relation to infrastructure projects, when he sought to re-announce a whole lot of projects that were already underway or just a figment of people's imagination—for instance, his support for the Melbourne Metro and the Badgerys Creek railway line, projects for which no business case has been prepared. No state commitments have been made in relation to Badgerys Creek; no route design has been even undertaken. Or what about the Cross River Rail project in Brisbane? I am not quite sure which project he was backing—the $400 million project that the Bligh government were proposing or their later $4 billion version of the same program. Or was it the Newman government's commitment to a bus and train tunnel under Brisbane? No details were provided, just that this alternative government intends to fund it.

What about this jewel: 'Planning work on the Ipswich Motorway, Darra to Rocklea'? Planning work—is that all? We committed $279 million towards this $560 million project. It is in our plan. The plan is done. We have put up $279 million for it—and do you know what? The Labor state government have knocked it back. They say they do not want to do it, and yet we have got the Leader of the Opposition saying that he is going to 'plan' for this Darra to Rocklea section. And what about the Gawler line electrification in Adelaide? That is a project that Labor pulled the money from in 2012.

We just heard the shadow minister talk about Monash Freeway and how this government withdrew the money. Do you know how much money Labor had in the budget for the Monash Freeway, a $200 million or $300 million project? Nine point nine million dollars. They were going to do $300 million worth of work for $9.9 million. That is the kind of logic and planning you get from the other side.

Mr Albanese interjecting—

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