Brett Raguse (Forde, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. Would the minister outline for the House the government’s road investment program and how it compares to previous spending on roads by the Commonwealth? What support is Infrastructure Australia receiving?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Forde for his question. I look forward to being in his electorate once again in a couple of weeks time. The member for Forde has a great interest in infrastructure in his growing part of south-east Queensland. I am asked about road funding. The government is spending some $36 billion over six years on nation building transport infrastructure, including $8.5 billion in new funding. This includes funding for long overdue road projects like the duplication of the Cooroy to Curra section of the Bruce Highway, the widening of the Ipswich Motorway, the Kempsey bypass and the construction of the Hunter Expressway. Indeed, we will spend $28 billion on roads over six years. This will deliver over 120 major projects, additional assistance for local roads, upgrades to thousands of dangerous black spots, safety measures at high-risk level crossings and additional rest stops for truckies.

I was asked about how this compares to previous Commonwealth spending on roads. The Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics Transport Statistics Year Book 2009, which was released today, collates historic data on a range of transport infrastructure. It reveals that the average annual road spend during the Howard government’s last six years was just $2.7 billion. In contrast, our road spend over our first six years in office will be $4.7 billion a year. This equates to some $12.7 million every day for the next six years. And under economic circumstances that are far more challenging than the circumstances the mining boom created, with record revenues flowing into government coffers.

They get a bit excited over there when we talk about infrastructure and our agenda. I was also asked by the member for Forde about the response to the Infrastructure Australia process that we have established. We know that those opposite did not support the IA process. We know that they have been critical the whole way through; we know that they opposed and voted against the Nation Building and Jobs Plan; we know that they voted against the nation building legislation; we know that they voted against the $42 billion economic stimulus plan in February; and we know that they have been critical of the $4.7 billion plan of last December.

But when I looked at what they were doing around the country, I was staggered, frankly. They say that imitation is the highest form of flattery. There was a press release by the New South Wales opposition leader Barry O’Farrell. He has announced that the Liberals and Nationals in New South Wales will:

… will create Infrastructure NSW to improve the identification, prioritisation and delivery of critical public infrastructure …

That is pretty interesting. The press release says:

Infrastructure NSW will:

-Identify public infrastructure needs;

-Establish priorities and recommend timelines for delivery;

Sound familiar? It goes on:

-Advise on project procurement, contractual arrangements, best practice, delivery and funding modes;

They advise that it will support private funding for infrastructure. Later on in the press release—and wait for this—they advise:

Infrastructure NSW is built on the successful Infrastructure Australia, Partnerships UK and Partnerships Victoria models.

That is what they are saying in New South Wales, the home state of the member for Wentworth.

People who look at what Infrastructure Australia has done with any objectivity whatsoever have to support the process that this government has established. Their opportunism in opposing all of these measures is highlighted by Barry O’Farrell and the New South Wales Liberal-National announcement today. We know that the coalition party room is a mess here. I wonder whether there was any consultation whatsoever before this announcement was made. But I guess we will not find out, because I am still waiting to receive a question from the shadow minister for infrastructure about any of the measures that we have undertaken.