Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

The budget that was announced just a few short weeks ago is all about security and opportunity. This government, this side of the House, is all about providing opportunities for everyday Australians. This government has provided an extra $18.6 billion in Gonski needs based funding for schools. In my electorate alone, just in my 35 schools, let's just have a look at some of the schools in my electorate of Fisher. There is $27 million more for Unity College over a 10-year period; $26 million more for Glasshouse Christian College; $22 million more for Chancellor State College; $21 million more for Meridan State College; $17 more for Siena Catholic College. I was very heartened to see Brisbane Catholic Education come out in the last couple of days and support the budget education reforms.

Turning now from education to infrastructure, how is it fair that people on the Sunshine Coast have spent years and years stuck on the Bruce Highway? The member for Grayndler, when he was the infrastructure minister, did absolutely nothing for the Sunshine Coast—no improvements to the Bruce Highway, no improvements to rail. How is that fair? Under this government we are spending a total of $929.3 million between Caloundra Road and Sunshine Motorway. Was that done under a Labor government? No, it was not. $929.3 million for a new interchange at Caloundra Road, a new interchange at Sunshine Motorway. This is reforms to transport that the other side and the member for Grayndler, when he was the transport and infrastructure minister, did not even dream of. This side of the House wants to ensure that people get to work safely and as quickly as possible. Those people on the Sunshine Coast who have ever travelled to Brisbane in peak hour traffic—peak 'hour' is now around three hours in the morning and three hours at night—will know and relish that this government is stumping up and doing for the Sunshine Coast things that the Labor Party never did when they were in government.

But we did not stop there. In the budget we announced a further $650 million for the Bruce Highway upgrades south of Caloundra, on top of the announcement that was made in September. How is it fair that under Labor the Sunshine Coast and the Bruce Highway did not get a brass razoo?

But under the Turnbull coalition government we are now seeing these sorts of fantastic funding opportunities.

And it is not just road; it is also rail—a $10 billion national rail program. That is on top of the $8.4 billion being spent on the rail from Brisbane to Melbourne. There is the $10 billion National Rail Program on top of that $8.4 billion that the Queensland a Labor state government can tender for. They can tender for that $10 billion. So we will be able to get duplicated rail from Beerburrum to Nambour. It is a matter for the Queensland state Labor government to actually put in a tender for that project. But will they do it? There is very likely chance that they will not—zero chance—because they do not want spend the money. The chances are that they do not have the money! But they would not spend it, because they do not care about the Sunshine Coast.

Let us look at the NDIS. As the father of a disabled child, I know that all of you people over there, or most of you, will want to see funding for our most disadvantaged. But your leader does not want to do it, and he is a disgrace. (Time expired)

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