Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for the Environment. Is the minister aware that the so-called new project to improve the Monash Freeway that he announced in today's Herald Sun, was, one, approved by Infrastructure Australia in 2012, and, two, funded in the Labor government's 2013 budget as part of the Managed Motorways program, and, three, cut by the coalition government in their 2014 budget?

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on my left and on my right will cease interjecting. The Leader of the House will cease interjecting.

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am delighted to receive this question from the member for Grayndler, because if he wants to talk about road funding for Victoria we will talk about road funding for Victoria every single day, because this government provided $3 billion—forty times that amount—for the East West Link.

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Isaacs will not interject again and remain in the House. The member for Ballarat.

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We know that the Leader of the Opposition loved the East West Link, because I just happen to have here two quotes from two submissions that the Leader of the Opposition made. Firstly, 'The new East West Link is crucial to jobs an economic growth.' A little inconvenient—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is about the Managed Motorways program, which they cut, along with the Melbourne Metro and the M80—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member will resume his seat. The minister has the call.

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Oh, and there is the ALP's $600 billion carbon bill, by the way. And what else did the Leader of the Opposition say? 'A new East West Link is a priority infrastructure investment and major project.' Just for fun, the shadow Treasurer said, 'Bill Shorten and I are of one mind. Labor honours contracts. Labor in government honours contracts entered into by previous governments. Even if we don't like them, for issues of sovereign risk, Labor honours contracts in office signed by previous governments.' Well, I wish they did, because that was a great principle. Do you know what? We took a minor project and multiplied it—not by one, two, three, four or 10 or 20. We multiplied 40-fold the funding that was there. You have had your go, buddy.

Mr Albanese interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Grayndler will resume his seat.

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We increased it to a $3 billion East West Link project. And do you know what? Labor cancelled the East West Link project. In classic Bill fashion, he loved it one day and left it the next. When they left it—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for the Environment is entitled—

Mr Albanese interjecting—

I am trying to speak to the House, Member for Grayndler. I do not appreciate being interrupted. I was saying: the Minister for the Environment is entitled to range across the policy topic, but he now needs to bring himself back to the substance of the question.

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Absolutely. With the most significant project being put on ice, which we will remain committed to and which we think is absolutely necessary, we will not let Premier Andrews let Victoria's traffic be frozen. So we will try to deal with this project. This is not the ultimate project. The ultimate project for Victoria's motorists would be the East West Link, but, in its absence, we should be looking at this other project in relation to the Monash. So you never fixed it, buddy; we will. We will fix that and we will continue the campaign for the East West Link, something which not just once and not just twice the Leader of the Opposition said he supported. We are prepared to get Melbourne's commuters moving. The best thing would be the East West Link, and, in its absence, we would love to talk to the Victorians about the Monash. (Time expired)

John Alexander (Bennelong, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development. Can the minister please update the House on the government's commitment to improving transport infrastructure in Australia? How does building better infrastructure improve job creation and growth? What alternatives are there to the government's approach?

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to 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—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member will resume his seat.

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

If you want roads and railway lines built, vote for the coalition. You will never get them under Labor.