Julian Simmonds (Ryan, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

That was a far more inspired performance from the member for Chifley about the motion than that of the motion's mover, the member for Scullin. Member for Chifley, maybe you should be on the front bench with a few of the others. It was a great audition. You would be making a few on your side nervous, I'm pretty sure—very, very nervous. So well done. You were far more inspiring than the Labor member who actually bothered to move the motion.

It just goes to show that, when it comes to infrastructure, the Morrison government and this side of the chamber are about actually delivering infrastructure on the ground; whereas, for Labor members, infrastructure is about playing politics, trying to find the political point and trying to push it. In the case of the Labor government in Queensland, it is about trying to stymie or delay it and trying to do everything they can not do it so they can use it for a political point.

This side of the chamber and the Morrison government are all about creating jobs. Never has it been more been more important than now, during the COVID recession, that, with our economic recovery, we create jobs and opportunities for Australians as we climb this mountain out of the COVID-19 recession. But, of course, we are not just delivering infrastructure; we are also investing in skills and training, building on the instant asset write-off scheme, providing tax relief for hardworking Australians, increasing our sovereign manufacturing capability and investing in shovel-ready projects and infrastructure. We are also supporting mental health services and the NDIS as well as our local manufacturing capability. That is what providing the necessary support to families, businesses and industries during the COVID-19 recession is all about.

We know the scale of the challenge. With the COVID-19 recession, we have seen the global economy contract by 4.5 cent. Compare that to less than one per cent under the GFC. Infrastructure plays a vital role in our recovery, and I'm delighted to talk about the infrastructure that the Morrison government is delivering, supporting over 100,000 jobs on worksites right across the country. It is a record program of $110 billion to create these jobs and to get Australia moving again. In the 2020-21 budget, we committed an extra $1.3 billion of government funding for infrastructure projects in Queensland. This includes $750 million for the Coomera Connector, $201 million for the Bruce Highway, and $112 million for the Centenary Bridge upgrade in my own electorate of Ryan, servicing the people of Ryan.

Since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, the government has committed an additional $2.2 billion in new infrastructure and accelerated projects to Queensland, and that includes in the Ryan electorate. On top of the $112 million for the upgraded Centenary motorway, the Morrison government has also committed $50 million for the Indooroopilly roundabout upgrade, $12.5 million for the Kenmore upgrade, $1.4 million for the intersection at St Lucia, $700,000 for the new Gresham Street bridge at The Gap and over $11 million for the Brisbane City Council to upgrade local roads and improve safety. Together, these funding commitments demonstrate an extraordinary commitment to fixing local roads in the electorate of Ryan and getting people home to their families sooner and safer.

An important way that we deliver this infrastructure is via our established city deals, and there is a new one in South-East Queensland that is been negotiated at the moment.

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