Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am enlightened that Senator Macdonald can take a drive through this beautiful outback country of ours and all of a sudden become an expert on the cartage of dangerous goods in the ACT, but I must add some commentary. One thing Senator Hutchins and I do know about is transport, so we always welcome the opportunity to comment on these bills. Before I talk about the Road Transport Reform (Dangerous Goods) Repeal Bill 2009, I think it would be remiss of me not to challenge some of Senator Macdonald’s wild assertions from the other side of the chamber. We know it is Thursday afternoon and it is a bit boring for the opposition—they send speakers in to waste a bit of time—but that was a shameful contribution from Senator Macdonald. The first part was quite intelligent, and I do not say that lightly because not much from Senator Macdonald is. I am sure he will challenge me on that. However, the middle bit was nothing but a vitriolic anti-Labor rant, which has become typical of Senator Macdonald when he has got nothing else to talk about.

No-one can tell me about the importance of Australia’s highways. Let us talk about defence and Australia’s highways. I remember sitting on Highway 1 year in, year out, sometime between January and March, being bogged or stuck at river crossings and flood plains that go for two or three kilometres. I do not think that one trip through the back of Queensland to Laverton in Western Australia would make Senator Macdonald an expert in anything to do with road transport. I have a few words to describe Senator MacDonald and expert is definitely not one of them.

It is most important, too, to challenge Senator Macdonald’s ridiculous assertions—and I will come to the bill shortly—about how the Rudd Labor government has attacked rural Australia and left rural Australia wanting. I just happen to have a copy of the 2009 budget papers in my desk, so I am happy that Senator Macdonald started talking about spending for rural and regional Australia. Let us not forget for one minute what the Howard government delivered over 12 years in the form of transport corridors. I remember that in about 2000 the railway line from Adelaide to Darwin, which was going to be the greatest thing since sliced bread, was about to be started. In my last conversation with the Australian Rail Track Corporation about the Darwin railway, I discovered that, unfortunately, it is now wallowing in debt. It is not being used, and I will tell you why. It is because—and I am proud to say this—that, when it comes to certain freight requirements in this great country of ours, road transport excels. Road transport leaves every other form of transport in its wake. I will acknowledge that, when it comes to certain bulk commodities, rail has its niche in the market, whether it be grain, ore or whatever. It is certainly competitive with road across the Nullarbor as long as your freight is not time sensitive, which road transport certainly can deliver. One thing about road transport is that it will pick up from your premises today and it can guarantee—all things being equal and without any floods or anything like that—that it will be at its destination by the time it is required.

Shipping also has its role to play in this great nation of ours. Let us have a look at what the Rudd government is delivering to rural and regional Australia. It makes me happy that I get this opportunity to keep reminding those opposite how it is—and how they hate to hear it. They cannot stand to hear what a wonderful job the Rudd Labor government has done and is continuing to do, and they are doing it without any help from that side. Without our stimulus packages where would we be today as a nation? If those opposite were in government—and thank goodness that they were not—when the global financial crisis hit us late last year, things would have been different. I will turn to the words of the great Western Australian shadow Treasurer, the member for Curtin. I use the word ‘great’ tongue in cheek, it is an oxymoron, and I will apologise to the Senate; it is not great. The member for Curtin, the shadow Treasurer, responded, ‘We should just sit back and wait.’ Fortunately, there is a magical word in that line, ‘shadow’. They were not in control, and thank goodness for that. The stimulus package has saved Australia. I do not know how many times those opposite have to be told—come on, Senator Ronaldson, bite! I do not know how many times they have to be told in this chamber and in the other chamber about the 200,000-odd jobs, and let us not forget that—two MCGs full of Australian jobs. It is a very conservative figure from Treasury. More than 200,000 jobs have been saved because of the Rudd stimulus package.

In terms of our nation building plan for the future, let us talk about the additional $8.5 billion for the nationally significant—are you ready for it?—transport infrastructure investment. And I will say it one more time: transport infrastructure investment, which was sadly lacking in the 12 years of incompetence on that side of the chamber during the Howard regime. $8.5 billion will provide the building blocks for Australia’s long-term economic, environmental and social prosperity. Regional areas will benefit from improved freight supply chains. Simply, freight supply chains are road, road infrastructure, rail and ports—every single thing that that lot over there turned a blind eye to in those terrible 11 wasted years. These improved freight supply chains will better connect major towns and cities and also improve travel and communications.

Where I travel in this great country of ours it is fantastic to see the commodities that we export—our mineral commodities, for example. There is no doubt about that. Coming from Western Australia, I am very proud to think that our future is looking very good, and the same can be said for Queensland. Whether it be iron ore or bauxite or alumina, whatever it may be, it is looking healthy. We can have the best mines in the world and we can have the best mining practices. We can have the best trained and equipped staff. We can have the most attractive markets around the world. But if we do not have that infrastructure transport supply chain, it all comes to diddly-squat, because if we cannot get the commodities from the mines to our ports, someone else will. Thankfully, after 11½ years of inaction something is being done about it in a $8.5 billion nation building plan for the future that will link the cities. It will link these mines and our ports.

A particular highlight of the plan is the government’s investment in Australia’s key freight route, Network 1, which we call N1, which stretches from Melbourne to Cairns. Have I driven that road? Yes, I have. Did I drive it during the Howard years? No, I did not. I had driven it during the early 1980s, during Fraser’s years—Fraser, the fellow who used to vote Liberal—and I have got to tell you, by all accounts, the boys were still telling me that it was not much better through the Howard years. The Rudd Labor government will do up that section of highway. It will do that major freight route up. It will spend the money wisely and it will create not only stimulus for jobs, small businesses and employees, but it will link our major cities. Senator Ronaldson, as I keep reminding you, this is very, very important. I get it, Senator Ronaldson, but unlike me, you are not listening; it is not sinking in.