Cameron Thompson (Blair, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Transport and Regional Services. Would the minister advise the House on the progress of vital transport infrastructure works in Queensland? Is the minister aware of any alternative policies?

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Minister for Transport and Regional Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for Blair for the question and recognise his particular interest in major road projects in Queensland, like the Ipswich Motorway and the Goodna bypass, for which he has been a champion over recent years. The Australian government has been working diligently to endeavour to get some of these projects up and running so that the people of Queensland can benefit from the $3 billion that this government has committed to Queensland for road and rail infrastructure under the AusLink program.

Unfortunately, the Queensland government continue to dither and procrastinate while the cost of all these projects just goes through the roof. The Queensland government, for instance, keep demanding that the Australian government allocate more money for the Ipswich Motorway. We have provided $556 million under AusLink already and they demand more. The reality is that, at the end of June this year, of that $556 million—

Bernie Ripoll (Oxley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Ripoll interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Oxley.

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Minister for Transport and Regional Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

that is available to the Queensland government, they had spent only $58 million—that is, only $58 million out of the $556 million.

Bernie Ripoll (Oxley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Ripoll interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Oxley is warned!

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Minister for Transport and Regional Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yet they run a campaign demanding the Australian government contribute more. Of course, there will be a lot more work to be done on that project.

Bernie Ripoll (Oxley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Ripoll interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The minister will resume his seat. The member for Oxley will excuse himself under standing order 94(a).

The member for Oxley then left the chamber.

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Minister for Transport and Regional Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is a disappointment the member for Oxley is not available to hear something about the failure of the Queensland government to get on with an important construction job in his electorate, because the reality is this is an important project which this government is committed to and for which it has been prepared to provide financial resources.

A little further north, I have reported to the House on a number of occasions on our efforts to upgrade the Bruce Highway and the significant commitment that has been made to planning for new routes to make four-lanes on the highway between Curra and Cooroy, only to find out after a year and a half on the job that the Queensland government has decided to flood nine kilometres of the road—not build new dams on the sites that have already been acquired but instead flood some of the existing highway.

This is typical of the lack of planning and foresight of the Queensland Labor government. They sat by while the population of south-east Queensland grew—they boasted about it—but there are no plans to provide the adequate infrastructure. In addition to that, it took a water restriction on the rose garden at Parliament House before they actually realised that the state was in 10 years of drought and was running out of water. This is the kind of incompetent planning of infrastructure that makes up the alternative policies of Labor in Queensland.

The determination of the Queensland government to always blame the federal government for all its troubles is quite extraordinary. The members representing Gold Coast seats would be well aware of the campaign and literature being distributed by Mr Lucas, the minister for transport in Queensland. He is always happy to take credit when federal government money is being provided for a state job, but when the funding is not to his satisfaction he blames the federal government for not having funded Queensland government roads and sends circulars out to everybody that say: ‘This road can’t go ahead because the Australian government haven’t provided funding for a road that is actually their responsibility.’ This is typical of a government that has lost sight of its objectives and the reason for governments to provide infrastructure and planning. We will get on with the job. A change of government in Queensland would make a real difference to delivery of infrastructure in that state.