Matt Keogh (Burt, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Under this federal Liberal government and the last WA Liberal state government, Perth's south-eastern suburbs were ignored. Early in the 2015 by-election, I was joined by WA Labor in calling for federal funding not only for the duplication of Armadale Road but also for a new Armadale Road to North Lake Road bridge at the Kwinana Freeway. Eventually the Abbott government agreed to fund the road but not the bridge. Again, in 2016, federal and state Labor committed to the road and the bridge. In 2017, working with the new WA Labor state government, we succeeded in dragging the Turnbull government to fund the new bridge. Just last weekend, the sod was turned on this transformational bridge project—a project that my community and those in the federal seat of Fremantle have been waiting years for. But, lo, with the state Premier, the minister, the local state MPs all ready for the sod turning, the Morrison government sent not the minister but two WA Liberal senators and—wait—refused to invite the local federal members: the member for Fremantle and me.

What we have seen in the behaviour of this government in this chamber this week and last was reflected in its conduct at the Armadale Road bridge sod turning—capriciousness, not allowing the Labor leader to speak in this place, the people's house, and not allowing local Labor federal MPs to attend events in their own electorates. Shame!