Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Manning Road is in my electorate, but I will get to that shortly. I would like to first begin by congratulating the Treasurer on the delivery of his 2017-18 budget last night. It is a budget with substance and a budget with depth that strives to achieve fairness, security and opportunity for all Australians. I would also like to congratulate the Prime Minister and the Minister for Finance for their ongoing hard work and contributions to the budget, which includes a $1.6 billion investment from the federal coalition government for a road and rail infrastructure package in the great state of Western Australia. Included in this package, the federal Liberal government will boost the previous funding commitment I secured for a southbound on-ramp at Manning Road and Kwinana Freeway to $28 million to make sure this project goes ahead. That is a further $8 million for this much-needed on-ramp. Under the budget agreement, the federal government will contribute $28 million of the $35 million project, with the state government funding $7 million.

The new Labor state government were very quick to jump on the bandwagon to claim a win over receiving the federal government's funding, despite not committing any funding—not one dollar—before the state election. As residents in my electorate of Swan and across Perth know, the Manning Road on-ramp will remedy what is currently a very difficult and dangerous stretch of road. The on-ramp is something I have been campaigning on since 2009 with the member for South Perth, John McGrath, MLA. It is fantastic that this federal coalition government has again delivered for the people of my electorate of Swan.