Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I rise to take note of the Infrastructure Australian annual report for 2021-22. When the Albanese government came to office, they inherited an ambitious infrastructure investment agenda, the legacy of the coalition government. We were delivering a $120 billion 10-year infrastructure pipeline of projects, providing industry with certainty to help their forward investment and workforce planning. Our government had committed to more than 1,200 major land transport infrastructure projects, of which more than 500 had been completed and more than 300 were under construction. The new government will likely be able to cut the ribbon on many of these over the next 18 months. We've had more than 400 projects in planning, in partnership with state and territory governments, and we were investing in productivity-enhancing economic infrastructure in capital cities and in regional Australia. Not only was this an important element of our economic strategy to return to surplus but it was a vital consideration of how we would strengthen both our national and, importantly, our regional economies to help make the economic adjustment for the net-zero commitment of the Morrison government.

Unfortunately, in the October budget, Labor cut infrastructure investment. It cut some $9.6 billion from infrastructure programs. At a time of high inflation and rising cost of living, when it was important for the government to get control of its spending priorities, the government made cuts to the wrong areas. Instead of exercising restraint in recurrent expenditure priorities, Labor made cuts to productivity-enhancing infrastructure spending and job-creating national projects. Thirty-six infrastructure projects were cancelled and many more delayed, with funding pushed way beyond the forward estimates, which begs the question of whether they'll ever be started.

Many of these projects were for regional infrastructure, intended to enhance freight efficiency, supporting delivery of products to ports and markets overseas. Unsurprisingly, many of the cancelled, cut and delayed infrastructure projects were targeted in coalition held electorates. For example, in Victoria, six projects were cancelled in Aston, including three major road projects identified as priorities by the RACV back in 2018. The people of that region know that Labor does not see that region as a priority. State and federal Labor have shown no interest in outer eastern Melbourne.

Not only were there cuts to infrastructure-building projects; there were cuts to road safety programs in the budget, with $60 million stripped from black spot road safety programs over the forward estimates. More than $280 million in Road Safety Program funding originally scheduled for this year has been deferred by the federal Labor government. These road safety cuts come at a time when road fatalities are increasing. The Australian Automobile Association is calling on the government to act urgently.

On 1 March, Minister King delivered a speech at the National Press Club. I was looking to see if the minister had a positive message about restoring investment in productivity-enhancing infrastructure in advance of the government's May budget. Unfortunately, it appears the minister was merely softening us all up for a further major cut to road and rail infrastructure projects this coming May. There was nothing but bad news for communities wanting to see their local roads upgraded to be safer, to respond to the pressures of growing populations and to move products to market more efficiently and safely. Minister King made it clear she plans to hollow out, or 'streamline', the list of infrastructure projects. So we can expect a further partisan purge by the minister of planned road and rail upgrades funded by the former coalition government. Regional roads of strategic importance and congestion-busting urban road programs were specifically singled out by Minister King, but nothing in the 10-year infrastructure pipeline can be considered safe from the axe in this upcoming budget. There is every indication these programs will be cut, including regional airport programs, something so critical to connect our regions to capital cities for work, for health and for education priorities, not to mention looking forward to welcoming so many tourists to our regional areas as a result of that program.

The former coalition government saw the importance to the economy of a bold infrastructure agenda, investing in future growth and tackling decades of underinvestment by states in infrastructure needed to support population growth. The Albanese government appears bereft of any ambition or vision for infrastructure and to lack understanding of the contribution that it can make to strengthening our economy and ensuring that we grow to be safe, prosperous and stronger over the coming decades. I seek leave to continue my remarks later.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.

Claire Chandler (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For the reference of the chamber, we will go back to the ministerial statement. There was a statement provided by the minister in relation to an OPD. Were there any senators wishing to take note of that statement?