Michael Sukkar (Deakin, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. I remind the Treasurer that it will take a person driving home from work in Melbourne tonight over an hour to get from Citylink to the Eastern Freeway.

Ms MacTiernan interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Perth will leave under 94(a).

The member for Perth then left the chamber.

Michael Sukkar (Deakin, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How will the government cut travel times and improve productivity through building the infrastructure of the 21st century such as the East West link and are there any risks to these reforms going ahead?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, on a point of order: under standing order 100, it is clearly ironical to ask the Treasurer about someone driving a car! Clearly, there is no way this is an order!

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member will resume his seat or he will leave under 94(a). The Treasurer has the call.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is a very important question that obviously the Labor Party do not like. Let me come to the point. Currently, around 200,000 vehicles make cross-city journeys through the north of Melbourne each day. That is expected to double within the next two decades. Currently, independent studies show that a journey across Melbourne from the Eastern Freeway through Alexandra Parade and across to Citylink can take up to 63 minutes each way—on average, 41 minutes. Under the deal that we have done with the Napthine government to build East West link, we are going to cut that from a potential 63 minutes each way to 10 minutes each way, bypassing 23 sets of traffic lights. Let me be very clear. It is only the coalition government in Victoria that is going to deliver East West link.

Mr Danby interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Melbourne Ports!

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is only the coalition government in Victoria that is going to cut up to two hours of travel time each year—to just 20 minutes—and it is a partnership between the infrastructure Prime Minister and the coalition Premier of Victoria. What is the risk? The risk is that Labor is elected in Victoria on Saturday. A vote for the Labor Party on Saturday is a risk to 7,000 jobs. The only way to deliver 7,000 new jobs in Victoria under the East West Link is to vote for the coalition.

Mr Danby interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Melbourne Ports and the member for Corio!

Mr Danby interjecting—

Order! The member for Melbourne Ports will leave under 94(a).

The member for Melbourne Ports then left the chamber.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If the Labor Party is elected on Saturday, not only will Victorians lose out on the $3 billion that the Commonwealth government has specifically allocated to East West link, but they will also face a bill of over $1 billion in compensation to be paid to builders for a road that was never built. This is what the Labor Party is about; they are wreckers.

Ms Ryan interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Lalor!

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Nothing illustrates that more than the determination of the Labor Party in Victoria to stop 7,000 jobs under the East West link, to cost Victoria $3 billion of Commonwealth funding, to cost Victoria over $1 billion in compensation for builders and to cost Victoria the chance to be a more productive economy.

Ms Ryan interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Lalor will leave under 94(a).

The member for Lalor then left the chamber.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I say to the people of Victoria: if you care about jobs, if you care about your economy, vote for the coalition on Saturday.