Nola Marino (Forrest, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer update the House on the government's plans to build the infrastructure of the 21st century? What are the economy-wide benefits of this plan?

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to 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.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister, and I refer to the answer just given by the Treasurer, and the Prime Minister's previous answer relating to the East West Link. Is the Prime Minister seriously asking the Victorian government to break an election commitment the Monday after the election?

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There will be silence on my right.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We are asking the Victorian government to heed the advice that the Leader of the Opposition and the member for McMahon gave it—that Labor honours contracts. That is what we are asking. Even the Leader of the Opposition believes that the East West Link should be built because he has written not one but two submissions saying that the East West Link should be built, and this government believes and the Leader of the Opposition believes that all of those clogged arteries of the city of Melbourne should be unclogged. That is what we are saying to the incoming Victorian government: honour the contracts that were duly entered into by the legitimate government of Victoria; do what your federal colleagues advise you to do; do what the Leader of the Opposition thinks is the right thing to do—

Ms Owens interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Parramatta is warned.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

collect the $3 billion that the federal government is offering you, and get on with building the East West Link.