House debates

Wednesday, 11 August 2021

Questions without Notice

Urban Congestion Fund

3:00 pm

Photo of Jim ChalmersJim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. Ten per cent of the total funds that he committed as Treasurer for commuter car parks at the last election were allocated to his own electorate. After more than two years, how many of the four car parks the Treasurer promised have been built, how many have started construction and how many are no longer going ahead?

3:01 pm

Photo of Josh FrydenbergJosh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | | Hansard source

There's a stranger in the House, because I've got a question from the member for Rankin! But the reality is we on this side of the House have supported commuter car parks, including in my own electorate, because we want to reduce congestion on our roads. We want to reduce congestion on our roads. With respect to the car parks in my own electorate, they haven't been built as yet, and we want them built. But I can tell you what, we will deliver more infrastructure to my electorate than those opposite ever will.

Dr Chalmers interjecting

Photo of Tony SmithTony Smith (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The member for Rankin! The Treasurer has the call.

Photo of Josh FrydenbergJosh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | | Hansard source

He would trip over his own shoelaces—the member for Rankin. The reality is commuter car parks are a way of reducing congestion in our cities and in electorates such as mine where there is a lack of capacity at local car parks. I note that the Leader of the Opposition supported his own commuter car park—

Mr Albanese interjecting

Photo of Tony SmithTony Smith (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition! No, cease interjecting.

Photo of Josh FrydenbergJosh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | | Hansard source

because he believed, as we do, that providing more commuter car parks—

Mr Albanese interjecting

Photo of Tony SmithTony Smith (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The Treasurer will pause. The Leader of the Opposition will cease interjecting. I give great tolerance to the leaders and the Manager of Opposition Business and the Leader of the House, but it's a never-ending stream of interjections and it needs to stop.

Photo of Josh FrydenbergJosh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | | Hansard source

The reality is these investments can help reduce congestion on our roads and enable more people to take public transport, and it's the same principle that those opposite also adopted.