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

I certainly will. This is a project, like the Moreton Bay regional rail project, that has been a long time in the making. Indeed, it was announced by Bruce Baird, the former member for Cook, when he was transport minister in the New South Wales Liberal government. But we are making sure that it becomes a reality. Since then, there has been a big fight to make it happen.

During the election campaign, on a pamphlet ‘I’m fighting to get things done’, the current member for Bennelong said that he was fighting for the Parramatta to Epping rail line. Indeed, he said that to everyone in the electorate, and the pamphlet arrived the day we announced it—a great piece of timing. But when we announced it he then said that he was against it. So he was for it and then he was against it—until it was happening. So he was for the theory, for the ghost train, but not for the people’s train. But, of course, it has changed again, because this week we have someone saying, ‘The construction of the Epping-Parramatta rail link is set to proceed, which is welcome news for the people of Bennelong.’ Yes, indeed it is. I hope that you vote consistently, as the member for Bennelong, and look after your electorate, unlike what occurred in the campaign when you walked away from that commitment, because there is a consistency here in that inconsistency when it comes to infrastructure—

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