Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I stand to join the local member in my electorate, Jacinta Allan, who is also the Minister for Public Transport in Victoria, in calling on this government to support the Labor government's Murray-Darling Basin rail project. We are calling on this government to partner with the Victorian government to help build this critical infrastructure that will help get primary produce from the Murray-Darling region to the ports. This particular project has been funded by the state Labor government; it has started the work. It has fast-tracked some of the funding to help improve the rail speeds so that we can get that produce from the region to the ports.

The government needs to step up to the mark and start funding public transport, whether it be for passengers or freight. If the government is serious about infrastructure and exports, then it will invest in the infrastructure that will help get product from the regions to the ports. This week the state Labor government and Jacinta Allan from my electorate are calling for this funding. I stand with them. If the government is serious about funding rail, if it is serious about public transport and if it is serious about exports, then it will join the state government in funding that Murray Basin Rail Project.