Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

When the Prime Minister was attempting to spin the 2014 budget he claimed he had delivered significant infrastructure investment. The truth is that his statement today repeated a range of projects, many of which are just about ready to open. Gateway WA and the projects on the Bruce Highway that he mentioned, like Calliope Crossroads, are projects that have been underway for years.

The so-called asset recycling plan has been spoken about by those opposite in the form of interjections. The truth is that the only thing that was recycled there was the money. They took money from the Building Australia Fund, called it the Asset Recycling Fund, and pretended that there was new investment where there was not. The truth is that the former government lifted infrastructure investment from 20th in the OECD to first. This current government needs to give a commitment that it will maintain that investment at first place. It is simply that. I commend to the government the advice of Henry Ford, who once said, 'Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.' The government should get infrastructure investment right. If they do that the nation will benefit.

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