Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Deputy Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

He knows they are out there. He is smiling now because he knows they are out there. It is about jobs; it is about supporting our communities.

There is a genuine commitment from this side of the House to support local jobs and contractors as we roll out our infrastructure programs. There are some classic examples of that. We have seen with the Northern Connector project in South Australia, NorthHub, an employment skills and training centre, is helping northern job seekers secure some of the 480 jobs a year on average which are associated with the project.

Now, the Pacific highway—

Mr Albanese interjecting—

The member for Grayndler continues to interject. Surely, he would acknowledge that the Pacific highway is a great project. From Sydney to Brisbane, there is record spending on duplication of the Pacific Highway. This upgrade is creating thousands of jobs along the New South Wales coast. The peak employment period is expected to be this year when 16,000 jobs—4,000 direct and 12,000 indirect jobs—will be supported across all of these Pacific Highway projects. Surely, those opposite will concede that is a great project. That is a project of national significance which is rolling out. But, if we listen to the member for Grayndler and to his comments earlier, it is as if nothing is happening whatsoever. He needs to go out there and drive that road. He needs to go out there and drive the Pacific Highway and see the thousands of workers out there every day right along the east coast of Australia.

There are other projects. Local products like Arrium steel are being used on the Northern Connector and the Adelaide to Tarcoola freight rail upgrade. That is happening right now. We are supporting the community on the Pacific Highway right down to local organisations such as the Grafton men's shed in the member for Page's seat and Beamer Tree Services, who are working to improve the environmental outcomes associated with this project by building and installing nest boxes as part of the Pacific Highway project. It is not just about the national significance of this project; it is right down at the local community level that the benefits are being felt.

Under this coalition government we are delivering a $50 billion infrastructure investment program, and the member for Grayndler knows it.

Mr Albanese interjecting—

The member for Grayndler continues to interject. He does not want to talk about the good news. The coalition is supporting the right projects and delivering on our plans for the future. We have committed funding to 15 of the 18 projects in Infrastructure Australia priorities. The member for Grayndler wants to talk about Perth Freight Link. He wants to talk about Infrastructure Australia's priority list. Infrastructure Australia assessed the Perth Freight Link project as a high-priority project. The member for Grayndler calls it a dud project, but Infrastructure Australia has it as a high-priority project. The member for Grayndler was the one who established Infrastructure Australia in the first place. He established the independent body. Perth Freight Link is a high-priority project, and he says it is a dud. If he does not like a decision, he just whinges about it.

From Perth Freight Link to the inland rail project, to Western Sydney Airport, to a range of projects right around the nation, we are getting on with the job of delivering our plan for Australia's future. The coalition is lifting the productive capacity of our nation through our national freight transport routes. To go through the list would take me more than the 10 minutes I have available to me. They are projects like NorthLink, Perth Freight Link, the Great Northern Highway, the Bruce Highway in Queensland, the Pacific Highway in New South Wales, Murray Basin Rail, Northern Connector in Adelaide, Tarcoola rail upgrade, Forrestfield Airport Link, Sydney Metro, Parramatta Light Rail. We offered funding for Melbourne Metro but the Victorian government said they could do it by themselves and they did not need it. Gold Coast Light Rail, Flinders Link and the Canberra light rail—the list is virtually endless.

Mr Albanese interjecting—

The member for Grayndler continues to interject. He wants to talk about Victoria. The Andrews government tore up the East West Link contract and gave $1.2 billion to contractors to not build a road. What Labor genius! $1.2 billion to not build a road! The people of Victoria are meant to thank Daniel Andrews for that. What a genius! Faced with that situation, we had to clean up Labor's mess. We went in there with a $1.5 billion plan and asked the Labor Party to match that funding commitment, and now we have projects rolling out across Victoria as a direct result of this government and this Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, getting on with the job of delivering for Victorians.

All I can say is that the contrast between Labor and the Turnbull-Joyce government could not be clearer. We have seen it here today. The member for Grayndler had 10 minutes. I know it is his birthday. He had 10 minutes to come here and build a plan for the future. He built a complaints box. He had one long whinge session, one long complaint after another. On this side of the House we are building for the future. We have positive plans and we are delivering them right across the nation. We are delivering infrastructure that Australia needs. We are getting on with the job of creating new opportunities for young people in regional areas. We are creating jobs and improving productivity right throughout the nation. The contrast could not be clearer. We are building for the future, and Labor is whingeing about it.

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