Yvette D'Ath (Petrie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am grateful to the member for Kennedy for bringing this matter on this afternoon. Infrastructure is certainly an important issue, and one that this government is committed to.

It is unfortunate but, once again, not surprising that the member for Farrer speaks about schools in a negative way, and the nation-building package and the Building the Education Revolution funding going to schools in a negative way, instead of working with her schools to actually get the best they can out of this funding. I do not think there is any member on this side of the House who has actually had a school—whether they are small or large—say, ‘This is a waste of money and this won’t bring new resources, new capital infrastructure and new opportunities to schools.’ But I am not going to spend the five minutes I have talking about the opposition and their criticism of the education revolution. I will save that one for another day.

I would like to talk about the issues raised by the member for Kennedy. I appreciate the passion that the member for Kennedy has in relation to the north-west mineral province and his area. As this government has already stated in this House, it takes seriously the potential development of the north-west mineral province in Queensland. This includes the development of renewable energy resources. The national 20 per cent by 2020 expanded renewable energy target will roll out significant new renewable energy generation in Australia.

When we are talking about infrastructure, of course we have to reflect on the fact that those on the opposite side of this chamber have, time and time again, sought to block any investment in infrastructure by this government after failing to invest in infrastructure for the last decade. They sought to reject any investment in rail infrastructure, in social housing and in education. I can only hope that right now in the Senate we do not see the same behaviour and have the Senate reject the renewable energy targets. That would be devastating for this country and our path forward, and not only for the reasons that the member for Kennedy has outlined. If we are truly committed to clean energy and renewable energy sources, we need to start by passing this renewable energy target legislation that is now before the Senate.

I do have to take issue with the member for Kennedy on the point about broadband not creating any permanent jobs. I certainly disagree with that statement. I believe that by creating fast broadband across this country it will provide many more opportunities, and will make us more competitive internationally by having those opportunities. I believe the people in the rural and regional areas will benefit significantly because they will have expanded opportunities to work, to actually expand their businesses and also where they can situate their business—whether it is from home or other premises—by having these resources. These are resources that any business, any student, any school and any individual should have access to in 2009, let alone the future. We need to invest in that and, of course, this government has already committed $4.5 billion to the Clean Energy Initiative as well.

I am very familiar with the areas that the member for Kennedy represents, and the areas that he has mentioned today. In my previous job, advocating on behalf of workers, I represented those areas in the mines and in the construction industry. Of course, we cannot ignore those in the hospitality and tourism areas as well. Having been to Mount Isa, Winton, Barcaldine, Cloncurry and Julia Creek, I know we are very reliant on the tourists who come through those areas as well. We need to support all those jobs, and we need to grow opportunities in those areas. We need to ensure that we can protect those jobs.

I am just as passionate as the member for Kennedy about local projects, major projects that we believe should be invested in. I certainly will continue to advocate for a rail project in my area, as the member for Kennedy will continue to advocate on behalf of clean energy in his area. I support this matter of public importance. (Time expired)

See this speech in context