Ed Husic (Chifley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Western Sydney motorists are the most tolled motorists in the entire country. They are being robbed blind by tolls and, disgracefully, things are set to get worse. Last week I spoke about how private toll operator Transurban reported a phenomenal 850 per cent leap in profit—850 per cent! Their investors marked them down and reduced their share price. Those investors think we're not making enough profit for Transurban—what shameless greed! To make matters worse, from Tuesday, Western Sydney drivers will be slugged by another toll on the M4 after they'd finished paying off this road five years ago. Drivers will have to pay $45.60 each week in tolls if they drive to and from work. That's a huge amount of money for people in Western Sydney—this, in a climate where wages growth is at an all-time low.

Outraged residents have taken to my Facebook page to voice their disgust at the New South Wales government. Roger Grealy, for example, wrote: 'The road has been built and paid for. Tolls are not justified.' eople pay road tax every time they register their cars. Say no to double-dipping road tolls.' They sold the power lines under the pretence that they would build infrastructure. Now, we have a new toll. So we are paying higher power prices and higher road tolls.'

Tolls make life harder for people already commuting long distances and paying more for transport. Enough is enough with these tolls.