Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

to the people of Western Australia—not because he is actually interested in information. That business case could reveal that this would lead to 10 per cent economic growth in Australia, and Senator Ludlam which still be opposed. There is no amount of economic benefit that would convince Senator Ludlam that this is a good project. But what shocks me is that the Labor Party, who used to be much more sensible than this, yet again in pursuit of Greens preferences in the inner-city seats of Western Australia and around Australia, is absolutely selling out the workers and selling out communities in suburbs of Perth in the pursuit of Green preferences. I expect this sort of garbage from the Greens, but I did not expect it from the Labor Party. And, back when Senator Sterle used to stand up for truckies in Western Australia, he was a strong advocate for this project.

Let me just finalise by making this point again: building Roe 8 and 9, the Perth Freight Link project, will mean fewer trucks and cars and fewer accidents on local roads, including Leach Highway, Farrington Road, South Street, Stock Road, North Lake Road, Beeliar Drive. Building Roe 8 and 9, the Perth Freight Link will mean free-flowing highway access east and west across our city to places including Perth Airport, Fiona Stanley Hospital, Murdoch University and Fremantle port.

Do you know what else it will do, Madam Deputy President? It will improve the value of residential properties across that whole south metropolitan area because, by removing the trucks from these arterial roads, by removing the congestion, by improving the amenity across the south metropolitan region through this record $1.2 billion federal investment in the great state of Western Australia, we actually will be contributing to a general lift across the area which will also be reflected in the property prices in this area. That is something that was confirmed by work commissioned by the state government of Western Australia which has been publicly released in full.

I will finish where I started. Senator Ludlam can come into this Senate and get the Labor Party to agree to 20 more audits. It will not change the fact that governments of both political persuasions, including the Labor government—