Matt Keogh (Burt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The member asks, 'What does the MUA think?' It's interesting to think about the issues that are affecting the port, Member for Tangney. What are the issues causing congestion around the port? We need to fix traffic on the freeway, which is a critical point of congestion for any road going into the port, and that is something that we're now doing. We need to fix congestion around the port, and that is something that the state Labor government is doing, by seeing a dramatic increase in the amount of freight being taken away from and into the port by rail. That is saving a considerable load of congestion. That amount will continue to increase under a Labor government, despite the fact that, under years of a Liberal government, we saw no movement—in fact we saw reductions—in the amount of freight being carried by rail. If you look at the truck movements on the existing roads, like Leach Highway, during the day we're not seeing truck movements like we see at some of Australia's busiest ports, where they have to happen all day long. There are other options to resolve congestion if that is the economical way to move forward.

One thing that I would like to remark upon is the way in which the former state Liberal government proceeded once it was going ahead with this project. Despite the facts that this was a very contentious project, that there was no support from the community for the project and that there were other priorities, the government proceeded to clear the land that would be affected by this road, removing an extremely valuable environmental resource for Carnaby's black-cockatoos and for other wildlife that is reliant on the remnant, aged vegetation—vegetation which has now been permanently removed by the Liberal Party in Western Australia—protecting our important environmental heritage.

There is one final point I want to make. If the member for Tangney is now saying that there is an additional $1.2 billion in the budget available for Western Australia, as gratifying as it is that the Turnbull government has finally realised that the state of Western Australia is actually a part of this federation, I say this: why are you holding the people of Western Australia to ransom by not delivering this money to the priority projects that it could otherwise be delivered to? Instead you say, 'We've got the money, but we won't give it to you.' Shame on the Turnbull government! (Time expired)

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