Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her question. Indeed, just last week, together we announced more than half a billion dollars for the necessary preconstruction work on the Woolgoolga to Ballina section of the Pacific Highway—just a part of our record $7.9 billion that we have committed. This section of preconstruction is fifty-fifty funded between the Commonwealth and New South Wales.

We are also getting on with the job of upgrading the Bruce Highway, and last Wednesday I was also in Queensland. I was there to begin construction on section A of Cooroy to Curra, a vital project—$790 million shared between the Commonwealth and the state government. The Leader of the Opposition asks his deputy, the Leader of the Nationals, whether he was there. No, he was not. He did not turn up to the sod-turn at the beginning of construction, just as he did not turn up at the announcement of funding, the beginning of construction, the completing of construction or the opening of section B in his electorate. So I thought: 'Fair enough. He's probably been pretty busy working on policy.' I saw a bit of policy from those opposite on 14 June—last week. The South Coast Register had the headline 'Abbott show rolls into town'. It says—this is a direct quote:

If we are elected we will form an organisation called Infrastructure Australia …

Well, there's a thought! There's an idea! Why didn't we think of that? Then he went on to say this:

… which will do its best to rationally and scientifically look at the various infrastructure projects and rank the best on public cost benefit …

There's another idea! Why didn't we think of that? Melbourne Metro—we did it. It is on the list. Cross River Rail—it is on the list. All 15 out of 15 projects are on the list, and we are funding them, and this bloke is telling state governments: 'No, don't accept the money. Stick with the Bombay solution on Cross River Rail of removing seats so people can stand up.'

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