Milton Dick (Oxley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

We just heard sad stories from the member for Bonner and the member for Forde. They demonstrate how completely out of touch they are when it comes to Queensland federal infrastructure funding. I stand here to proudly and strongly support the member for Grayndler's amendment. In this debate today we know that the government would like to have a pat on the back for their record so-called delivery of infrastructure. But we know, despite comments from the Minister for Urban Infrastructure and Cities that it would make sense to be ready to roll on the next two key M1 projects after completion of the two that are now underway—expected to be around 2020—they've back ended their funding out beyond the forward estimates. That means that, out of the $1 billion in funding—and we've just heard lecture after lecture from government members—$845 million isn't even in this budget. It is not the case that this government is spending $1 billion. The fact is that in this budget only $155 million of federal funding has been provided for the M1 Pacific Motorway.

The member for Rankin has led the debate on this and has stood up to this government time and time again to make sure that residents of the southern suburbs of Brisbane get a fair go. We know that, when it comes to the delivery of infrastructure, this government is not fair dinkum. Queenslanders deserve better. It's time that those opposite who pretend to represent Queensland started to fight for Queensland.

We need look no further than the actions of Labor leader Bill Shorten and what he has committed to. Only a few weeks ago the opposition leader was in Queensland. He stood proudly to announce that only a Shorten Labor government would match the government spending of $1 billion to make sure that we do have congestion fixed along the Eight Mile Plains to Daisy Hill area and we have widened to six lanes the freeway between Varsity Lakes and Tugun. More importantly, he stood in Brisbane, alongside the member for Griffith and the member for Moreton, and announced that we would go one step further and fund Cross River Rail.

We know talk is cheap when it comes to the government. The No. 1 infrastructure project in Australia is demanding action that only Labor will deliver. Time and time again we've seen residents call for action. We've seen the state government, under Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Deputy Premier Jackie Trad, put the shoulder to the wheel to make sure that Cross River Rail becomes a reality.

We know the importance of critical infrastructure funding. For 13 long years under the Howard government, not one cent was spent in my own community on upgrades to the Ipswich Motorway, which runs through the electorate of Oxley. It took the election of the Labor government in 2007 to make sure that $3 billion was invested in that project. Year after year we saw neglect from the coalition government. It took a Labor government to deliver that critical project. When Labor funded that project we knew that capacity along the Ipswich Motorway would go up to 180,000 vehicles.

Labor plans for the future. Cross River Rail not only will ease congestion for motorists but is expected to create around 7,700 jobs during construction and 550 jobs afterwards. I congratulate the state Labor government and I thank the Leader of the Opposition, Bill Shorten, for making that commitment to make sure that residents who live in the south-west of Brisbane and right across Brisbane will benefit from that congestion-busting project. The residents that I represent, and all throughout Brisbane, know that only Labor can be trusted to deliver that critical infrastructure.

In particular, I want to acknowledge the Queensland Premier and her team on providing the leadership that is needed for infrastructure in our state. This is a particularly strong partnership that will require a strong state Labor government and, indeed, a federal Labor government.

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