Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

How do you boost growth? Well, one of the signature policies that we delivered in the last budget was, in fact, the biggest infrastructure program in Australia's history. We announced the equivalent of eight new Snowy Mountains schemes to be built over the next decade—projects such as WestConnex in Sydney, the Gateway Motorway project in Brisbane and the North-South Corridor in Adelaide. We have committed to those projects, and we committed to the East West project in Melbourne, which has now been ripped up by a Labor government, along with the Labor Party ripping up 7,000 jobs. How proud they are. How proud the Labor Party are not only to see 600 people sacked in Melbourne because of that project not going ahead but that they have stopped the creation of 7,000 new jobs. Shame, Labor, shame.

Of course, it is about opportunity. Where is the opportunity for Australia's growth and prosperity going to come from in the future? That is one of the reasons why we have signed three new trade agreements with some of our biggest trading partners. That opens the door to small business, opens the door to jobs and opens the door of opportunity for everyday Australians. We are getting on with the job of governing the country in the best interests of the Australian people.

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