Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I hear the member for Grayndler yelling out. I think he's yelling out about the pink batts infrastructure he was talking about. We know about the pink batts disaster. That was infrastructure spending which set over 200 houses on fire and killed four people, so that was really good—what a great legacy to have for infrastructure spending the pink batts disaster was!

The member for Grayndler might not like it, but if Labor wants to make comparisons here is one: comparing all transport infrastructure investments—this includes payments to states, financial assistance grants, financing and equity—under the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd government the average annual spend on infrastructure was just over $6 billion, and the average under the coalition government from 2013-14 to 2020-21 is over $8.1 billion per year. If the member for Grayndler could get his numbers right, he'd understand that $8.1 billion is a lot higher than $6 billion. The member for Grayndler might get his numbers right one day.

Unlike Labor, the coalition government has a real plan that is building a stronger economy by creating more and better paid jobs, backing small business, boosting exports, delivering reliable and affordable electricity, and building road, rail and other vital infrastructure. Unsurprisingly, those opposite are not fans, but then how could you be a fan of something that promotes aspiration and busts congestion when you have a wing of your party advocating for no new roads?

In the great state of Western Australia, the coalition government, in this budget alone, has announced $3.2 billion for an infrastructure package, the largest single infrastructure investment we have seen dedicated to keeping WA moving. This package is committed to busting congestion across Western Australia and improving safety for WA commuters and road users. Unlike those opposite, this infrastructure package is not city-centric but rather is beneficial to regional WA and people in the metro area like my constituents of Swan. This is on top of the $2.3 billion Boosting Jobs, Busting Congestion package included in last year's budget, which included vital infrastructure such as the Manning Road on-ramp, which Labor always refused to fund, and the upgrades to the Roe Highway and Kalamunda Road intersection in my electorate, which Labor again refused to fund. So I thank the member for Grayndler for bringing this MPI so I could talk about how good the coalition funding is in my electorate of Swan.

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