Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I am advised by the minister there is $600 million for that alone over the forwards in the $10 billion plan. So that contradicts what the honourable member has said. But the honourable member would be well aware that rail projects in the time we are talking about take a long time in the planning and so it is important that the commitment is made well in advance, which it has been, and that the money is available as and when it is required.

The coalition government are absolutely committed to investing $75 billion in national infrastructure over the next decade, and we are getting on with infrastructure investment right across the board. I mentioned the Inland Rail, which the Labor Party does not seem to have very much passion for. I have noted that the Queensland Premier wants to hold it hostage until there is commitment to the Cross River Rail in Brisbane. So a vital piece of nation-building infrastructure across regional Australia is to be held hostage until there is a commitment to an urban rail project in the middle of Brisbane. That hardly seems to be a commitment to the national interest. Right across the board, whether it is in rail or road, there is a $75 billion commitment over the next decade. One of the honourable members opposite was speaking before question time about the National Broadband Network—that absolute train wreck we inherited from the Labor Party. We are connecting more paying customers every two weeks than Labor did in six years, so Labor cannot lecture us about infrastructure. (Time expired)

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