Joanne Ryan (Lalor, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak about infrastructure. On Friday, I was pleased to attend the National Growth Areas Alliance Victorian launch of their Fund our Future campaign. I was proud to be there with Wyndham City Council mayor and councillors to advocate on behalf of the five million people in this country who live in growth corridors. Of course, Wyndham is one of those places as is Scullin, as the member for Scullin will rightly point out.

The launch has three priorities—roads, public transport and health in these growth corridors—and one solution: a dedicated national infrastructure fund. They are calling for that funding. I note today, with disappointment, an AFR report that says there is an expected unexplained $16 billion cut in spending in infrastructure across our cities since the 2014 budget—just another example of this government saying one thing and yet doing another.

But, with Labor, you can rely on us coming out to listen. In Lalor next week, you will be able to attend a cities task force led by the member for Scullin on the 18 February at the Encore Events Centre between 5 and 7 pm. I encourage locals who live the experience of a growth corridor to come and inform me and my Labor colleagues of their personal experience and the impact on work-life balance and family experience. Thank you.