House debates Questions without Notice

Victoria: Infrastructure

Wednesday, 24 May 2023 House of Representatives

Sam Birrell

Sam Birrell Nicholls, National Party

2:38 pm

My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. I refer to the minister's response last year in question time:

The money for the Shepparton bypass remains in the budget, and we are fully committed to that project.

Does the minister stand by her statement, or will the Shepparton bypass fall victim to her infrastructure review?

Ms Catherine King

Ms Catherine King Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government

2:39 pm

Thank you very much to the member for the question. I know he is a strong advocate for this project. Can I say to the member that every single dollar of the $120 billion 10-year pipeline remains in the budget. It was in the budget two weeks ago, and it remains in the budget, and it will remain in the budget going forward—every single dollar. The mess we have been left with and the problems—

Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Milton Dick

Milton Dick Speaker

Order!

The member for Fisher will pause. I can't hear a word the minister is saying. The next person who interjects will leave the chamber. The minister is going to be heard in silence for the remainder of her answer.

Ms Catherine King

Ms Catherine King Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government

The member points to a project that actually illustrates the problem that we have been left with. After 10 years, frankly, of mismanagement of this pipeline, putting political priorities above deliverability, making announcements when they didn't know how much a project was going to cost and didn't have a funding partner, doing it without working with state governments to see whether these projects could be delivered, we are now left with a pipeline full of over 800 projects, many of which simply cannot be delivered. So we are cleaning up the mess that those opposite left—

Andrew Wallace

Andrew Wallace Fisher, Liberal National Party

What about Labor's election promises? Just own up to it, Catherine.

Milton Dick

Milton Dick Speaker

The member for Fisher can leave the chamber under 94(a).

The member for Fisher then left the chamber.

Ms Catherine King

Ms Catherine King Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government

to make sure that we can actually deliver projects. Rather than just keep promising them and promising them, we actually want to build them.