Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Deputy Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Grayndler for his audition for the leadership of the Labor Party. At least the member for Grayndler is talking about an issue that people in regional Australia care about, being investment in land transport infrastructure.

All this week those opposite have been asking questions about issues that, quite frankly, people on work sites around Australia couldn't care less about. They couldn't care less about the questions that the Leader of the Opposition has come up with. But at least the member for Grayndler has raised an issue of significant importance to the people of New England.

I want to thank and congratulate the member for New England for his hard work in advocating on behalf of his community to deliver the infrastructure that he knows will change people's lives and save people's lives in his community. He knows that investment in good infrastructure will change lives and save lives. As to the way it's changing lives, it's reducing congestion, improving productivity and creating jobs in regional Australia, particularly in the seat of New England—the seat which has never had better representation than it's getting right from the Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the National Party. The Bolivia Hill project that the member for Grayndler referred to will save lives as well. We understand that that project that will improve safety on this important transport link through the New England region.

I would also add that the member for New England has been an extraordinary advocate for infrastructure right across his electorate, which gives me the opportunity to reflect for a moment on how hard he worked in delivering record funding for the inland rail.

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