Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Port Adelaide for his question. Indeed, infrastructure investment is central to the government’s economic priorities. That is why we put $41 billion from the surplus into long-term infrastructure investment funds. Infrastructure investment helps put downward pressure on inflation and interest rates. It addresses capacity constraints and it lifts productivity. Recent global economic events are of concern, of course, to all Australians. It is important that we monitor the situation closely and do what we can to ensure that Australia and our financial institutions are well placed to withstand global changes and global conditions. The Prime Minister’s visit to the United States this week is part of this strategy.

It is quite extraordinary that the Leader of the Opposition has maintained his criticism of this visit, which shows just how opportunistic he really is. It is also a fact that the opposition leader is defined by his inconsistency. In April he thought it was important for him to visit the United States. He had this to say:

The security, the mortgages, the homes, the jobs of Australians depend in large measure on the international developments coming out of the United States of this credit crisis, so it was important for me as Shadow Treasurer to come here ...

So, according to the opposition leader, it is important for him to visit and to have consultations with global economic institutions while he is shadow Treasurer, but the Prime Minister, who has got his hands on the levers of the Australian economy, is subject to criticism for having these very discussions. That opportunism is characteristic of the Leader of the Opposition. That is why, on the $6 billion black hole, it is either a big amount or a small amount. He is not sure about that, but he is sure it is a good amount for them to blow a hole through the budget. That is why he described the $41 billion infrastructure investment funds in his budget reply speech as ‘the greatest con of all’.

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