Louise Miller-Frost (Boothby, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. How is the Albanese Labor government focused on delivering key rail projects across the country? Why is delivery rather than division so important in the delivery of infrastructure projects?

Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Boothby for her question. Last month we reached an exciting milestone for her constituents, with Adelaide's Glenelg line reopening over the Australia Day long weekend. In partnership with the Malinauskas Labor government, we removed three level crossings, replacing them with terrific new bridges. That is a big safety upgrade and will also mean faster journeys for drivers and smoother commutes for people catching these trams. Adelaide, of course, isn't the only place where we're making tracks on our infrastructure investment. Last month we saw the first new tracks being laid in the Canberra CBD—a big milestone on this city's city-shaping project and a great example of the progress that we're making. Stage 2A will deliver three new stops and pave the way for the network to be extended south of the lake.

In the regions, we're getting the basics right on Inland Rail, which under the Nationals was a train to nowhere. When the Nationals held this portfolio and started Inland Rail, they set off on a half-baked plan, with no idea how they were going to bring it to a close. That might sound a bit familiar—a bit like when they blew up the coalition and spent 17 days basically bickering with each other and not having a plan as to how to get out of it. They had no plan for a freight terminus in Victoria, and we had to come in and fix that mess. I'm happy to report that, late last year, with the member for McEwen, I turned the first sod on the Beveridge intermodal, which will be the Victorian terminus for double-stacked freight trains. That means that double-stacked freight trains will be able to travel from Melbourne all the way to Perth via Parkes. Inland Rail is just another example of where the Nationals have started something without thinking through the details.

Of course, it is now Labor, with 24 regional seats, that really is the party of the bush, and we are focused on delivery. While the newly re-formed coalition rail against each other on the airwaves, we're getting on with building the infrastructure that Australia needs. Australian infrastructure is on track, while the coalition remains continually off the rails.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.