House debates Questions without Notice
Transport Infrastructure
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Honourable Members:
David Hawker Speaker
Order! All members will resume their seats immediately!
Kim Beazley Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
Mr Beazley interjecting
David Hawker Speaker
I have not called anyone. I call the next question, and I call the member for Riverina.
Kim Beazley Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
Mr Beazley interjecting
Kim Beazley Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
Mr Beazley interjecting
Kim Beazley Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
Mr Speaker, the point of order is this: they had a question on that side of the House and the normal practice is that you come to this side. We are entitled when a minister is quoting from documents to ask questions about those documents.
David Hawker Speaker
The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. I will respond to the point of order. The Manager of Opposition Business asked a specific question to the minister. The minister stood up and gave a response. I said, ‘I will now call the next question, and I am calling the member for Riverina.’
Stephen Smith Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations
Mr Speaker, on a point of order: at the conclusion of the minister’s answer, the Manager of Opposition Business got to the dispatch box and asked that question about the tabling of papers. While she was doing that, I was on my feet.
Stephen Smith Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations
I haven’t finished my point of order, Mr Speaker.
David Hawker Speaker
The member for Perth will resume his seat and I will rule on the point of order. The Manager of Opposition Business stood up and asked a question. She did not preface it by saying it was a point of order; she asked a question of the minister. Therefore I called the minister and the minister responded. The member for Perth on a point of order.
Stephen Smith Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations
As the tape will show, Mr Speaker, the Manager of Opposition Business approached the dispatch box on two occasions, on the first occasion to inquire about the tabling of papers and on the second occasion to raise a point of order. As the tape will also show—
Stephen Smith Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations
Mr Stephen Smith interjecting
David Hawker Speaker
The member for Perth will resume his seat. I have ruled on that point of order.
Stephen Smith Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations
Mr Stephen Smith interjecting
Stephen Smith Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations
Mr Stephen Smith interjecting
David Hawker Speaker
The member for Perth is warned! I call the member for Riverina.
Kay Hull Riverina, National Party
Thank you, Mr Speaker. My question is addressed to the Minister for Transport and Regional Services. Would the minister update the House on initiatives the government is taking to deliver vital funding for the New South Wales road and rail transport network and also around the area of the Riverina?
Warren Truss Wide Bay, National Party, Minister for Transport and Regional Services
I thank the honourable member for Riverina for her question. It was a pleasure to be in her electorate last week to look at some of the projects that are under way as a result of the Australian government’s investment through AusLink in important rail and road infrastructure upgrades. In particular, I was able to witness the signing of a new $16 million contract to provide a new rail bridge over the river at Wagga Wagga, replacing the old 1881 steel structure with a modern concrete facility that will enable the speed limit of 20 kilometres per hour to be lifted as the trains cross the river and inevitably slow down the movement of freight between our capital cities.
We were also able to visit the Hume Highway and look at some of the projects in line for the $800 million investment by this government announced in AusLink for the Hume Highway, bringing to $1.4 billion the AusLink commitment to upgrade the Hume Highway to four lanes. When I was there, there was obviously a great deal of enthusiasm for this expenditure, but there was also a degree of frustration because the money that the Australian government has been providing to New South Wales for the Hume Highway in the past simply is not being spent. Particularly the people around the Coolac bypass project are especially angry that a long time—years, in fact—after the Australian government made the commitment to fund this important 12-kilometre bypass the work has not started.
In fact, the tenders for that project closed on 11 May 2005—a year and two weeks ago—and New South Wales to this day still have not decided on the successful tenderer. In fact, the whole process is caught up in New South Wales heritage legislation—red, green and black tape! They say to us that it will be at least the end of the year before they will be able to consider the issuing of a contract for this project. How many more people have to die on this road before the New South Wales government will get on with the job of spending the money that the Australian government has already provided them? There is an absolute degree of incompetence in the management of New South Wales that is delaying projects that could be delivering an improved road system to Australians, and it is time they got on with the job.