Andrew Robb (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and COAG and Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader on Emissions Trading Design) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. Minister, if the issue of spending $76 billion on infrastructure has the priority that you have asserted, why does the coordinator of Infrastructure Australia have only two temporary staff while at the same time there are four Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade staff members allocated to Australia pursuing a seat on the Security Council for 2013-14?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I welcome the first ever question on infrastructure from a coalition representative in this House. We have been waiting for the opposition to show some interest in infrastructure. Infrastructure Australia has been established, with its head office in Sydney. Infrastructure Australia is a streamlined organisation—we are making sure that there is no waste.

I will take the shadow minister to the offices, if he would like, to meet the many staff working for Infrastructure Australia. Infrastructure Australia—and we have said this from the very beginning, but they just do not get it—is a coordinating body of Commonwealth, state and local governments and the private sector. If you go into Infrastructure Australia, you will see many workers seconded from state and territory governments working with expertise. That is why they have been seconded to work on the development of the infrastructure priority list. You will also see in Infrastructure Australia the Major Cities Unit. On Wednesday at a conference in Sydney on global cities I will be announcing the appointment of the head of the Major Cities Unit. A fine appointment is coming up.

Infrastructure Australia has made certain that we have had a considered approach to these issues. We have taken up these issues after more than a decade of neglect from those opposite. We have those opposite once again walking both sides of the street. They say now that they support infrastructure, but they do not support Infrastructure Australia. They attempt through this question to undermine the confidence that is out there in the business community, the federal government, the state governments and the local governments.

The last time I was at Infrastructure Australia I sat around the table with Infrastructure Australia board members, led by Sir Rod Eddington. People such as Mark Birrell, Heather Ridout and Ross Rolfe are dismissed by those opposite as not being relevant. Those people are making an outstanding contribution.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What have they done?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They have already met four times. They have met in conjunction with the Infrastructure Working Group. Once again, you have both arguments put. They dismiss it by saying, ‘What have they done?’ but, if on the other hand they had just plucked a list from thin air without any considered work or approach, they would be critical of that as well. They will have a chance in coming weeks because we will have the BAF legislation before this parliament. Once again I predict we will see nitpicking around the sides because they do not really support nation building and they do not really support infrastructure development, and they showed that during their 12 long years of neglect.