Bernie Ripoll (Oxley, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

I am really pleased to speak on this particular motion from the member for Moreton, not just because he is a good member for his local community but for the fact that he is committed, like Labor, to really strong infrastructure programs and spend—not just programs and spend but delivery: real infrastructure built on the ground and delivered. It is one thing to talk. You can talk about anything you like. You can talk about the economy; you can talk about all the great things we have done. That is true, and I thank the members opposite for acknowledging all of that good work that we have done, but you actually have to deliver the roads in the end—and that is exactly what we do. We do not just talk about them, we do not just look at them, we do not just plan them; we actually build them.

We are builders. We love to build things. We particularly love to build roads, rail and ports. There is a whole heap of examples and you have heard some already.

One of the things I relish the most when I go out into my community and into other communities to talk about different projects is that I can always point to something and say: 'Labor built that. I remember that road. We funded that road. We built that road.' The tunnel in Brisbane that is being constructed at the moment, which is a fantastic infrastructure project, in a very short time is already 25 per cent of the way into tunnelling. It will take four years all up to finish the job. It is fantastic work. It was done by the former state Labor government, the federal government and the Brisbane City Council—three-way funding. The Commonwealth contributed $500 million to it. It is a fantastic road tunnelling project in Brisbane.

We have talked a lot about the Ipswich Motorway, and so we should because that is one of the great infrastructure projects in this country. It is one that we have not seen on such a scale for generations. The interesting thing about the Ipswich Motorway upgrade—as everyone agrees and knows—is that, when you drive on it, you think that it is a beautiful bit of road. That is what I hear from people all the time. The member for Dawson and the member for Hinkler would agree that it is a beautiful piece of road.

Mr Neville interjecting—

Mr Christensen interjecting—

It is okay, we are making our way up north to your electorates where previously the roads have not been done. We will come and build roads for you. We actually agree that you have to work right across Queensland and right across Australia. We are going to deliver road upgrades that were not done 15 years ago. I love hearing about things that could have been done. I love hearing members of the Liberal and National parties talk about the great wads of money they left in the bank. It is too bad that they would not spend it on you. They love to collect money, put it in the bank and sit on it, but it is too bad that they were not generous enough to spend it on you—you the community and you the people.

Mr Robert interjecting—

That is right, the Bruce Highway needed to be fixed a long time ago. They had the money but they would just not spend it. They were keeping it for something—

Mr Robert interjecting—

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