Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Resources) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I take a point of order under standing order 98(d)(i), around expressions of opinion. It's very clear that the Deputy Prime Minister doesn't have any opinion on anything.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is a frivolous point of order, as the member for Hunter well knows. He will leave the chamber under standing order 94(a).

The member for Hunter then left the chamber.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, the average IQ of the chamber just went up! See you, Joel. Have a nice Christmas, mate!

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm just going to ask the Deputy Prime Minister to withdraw that remark.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You have the call for the time being, Deputy Prime Minister.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Wide Bay. As we do approach Christmas, I want to thank the member for Wide Bay for his advocacy for road safety. I'm sure the shadow infrastructure minister would also agree that, as we lead up to Christmas, road safety is important, and what we do in the infrastructure space plays a lot into the aspect of ensuring that our roads are safer and that people get home to where they need to be sooner and safer. We certainly want everybody to drive safely over the Christmas period.

I agree with the member for Wide Bay that we are confident about our nation. We are confident and we believe our best days for this country are indeed ahead of us. We know that, when you spend $100 billion on infrastructure, whether it's road, rail, aviation or water infrastructure—all being invested and delivered through record infrastructure spending—the best days of the nation must surely be ahead. ABS data has shown that we posted a record $21.1 billion trade surplus in the September quarter. That's largely on the back of what we've done in the infrastructure space, making sure that products can get to port and therefore to markets sooner. Our $100 billion pipeline of investment includes the $9.3 billion for the Inland Rail, and I know how delighted the member for Groom is—and other members as well, like the member for Parkes. That was a significant day last week when the Queensland government signed up to that intergovernmental agreement for Inland Rail. There's been no greater champion than the member for the electorate of Wide Bay for section D of the Bruce Highway from Cooroy to Curra. He certainly advocated for it. He has delivered it.

We're delivering on projects right now from the Pilbara to the east coast. The duplication of the Pacific Highway in New South Wales is almost complete. On the Princes Highway in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, there have been upgrades from one end to the other. Outback Way, Australia's longest shortcut, is getting on with more infrastructure spend that will benefit Western Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland. There's the Great Northern Highway in WA. Of course, we've mentioned the mighty Bruce. There's the Toowoomba second range crossing. Again, for the member for Groom, that's so, so important. There's the Echuca-Moama bridge in the electorates of the members for Nicholls and Farrer. They know how important this bridge is to ensuring that product gets to where it needs to be. There's the Merrylees bridge at Carrathool. I could go on. I'm asked about alternatives. Those opposite only wish they had as much money to spend on infrastructure when they were in government as we do now.