Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Minister for Transport and Regional Services) Share this | Hansard source

The obvious first answer to the honourable member’s question is that this government has put on the table $12.7 billion, under the AusLink program, to fund some of the major road and rail infrastructure projects that are essential to keeping our transport system working well. It is absolutely vital that we improve our infrastructure, given the prospect of Australia’s transport task doubling within 20 years. It will require a continuing commitment to ensure that the transport sector can play its role in a strong and vibrant economy.

Over the last couple of weeks, governments around Australia have responded to the National Transport Commission’s assessment of the costs of road transport and the implications for the provision of infrastructure. The NTC had recommended a 2.1c a litre increase in the fuel excise, effectively paid by the road transport industry, and increases in registrations on large trucks to around 30 per cent. I know that the prospect of these increases in costs was a matter of grave concern to members of the Australian government, and I am pleased to report to the House that the Australian government has voted no to these proposed increases. I am pleased to note also that, having publicly professed support for these proposals, the states eventually rolled over and voted no to those proposals.

That does not mean that the government is opposed to cost recovery from the transport sector; we publicly support that objective, and so does the road transport industry.

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