Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development. Will the minister outline to the House how the government is providing certainty to my community in Durack by delivering real funding to upgrade the Great Northern Highway and North West Coastal Highway. How is the government delivering long-term improvements in economic infrastructure to communities across Western Australia without a mining tax?

Jamie Briggs (Mayo, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Durack for his question. We had a terrific couple of days up in the Pilbara earlier this year looking at the importance of the mining industry. It is terrific to have the new member for Durack, like the previous member for Durack, so committed to making the most out of Australia's mining industry and not committed to finding ways to injure it, like the former Treasurer the member for Lilley. While we were there, we committed, along with the Minister for Finance, to ensure that the funding went ahead for two very important projects in Western Australia: the Great Northern Highway project and the North West Coastal project, two projects that were left unfunded by the Labor Party when we got to government. We know they were unfunded, because they were being paid for by the mining tax revenue.

Ms MacTiernan interjecting—

The member for Perth knows very well that this was a problem that they had left to the new government. We got to government, and the infrastructure Prime Minister said, 'This is unacceptable; these two projects must go ahead.' So we found a way to fund these projects.

We know that there was no money there because we referred to the oracle himself—the designer of the mining tax and the genius behind the tax that raised no revenue—the member for Lilley, the former Treasurer. He said on radio in Perth in 2011:

If we don't have the revenue from the tax then we can't make the investments.

So there was no revenue and no money, and there were no projects.

In fact, it was not just the member for Lilley, the former Treasurer, but also the member for Grayndler who, unfortunately, is not here to hear this. When he was the infrastructure minister in this place in 2011, he answered a question in this place from the member for Throsby about the importance of the mining tax and said:

But they are only possible if you have revenue from somewhere.

The mining tax.'

The issue here is that there was no revenue from the mining tax when we got to government. There were no projects that would have gone ahead, so we have funded them and are actually pushing the Western Australian government to get it done quicker.

Ms MacTiernan interjecting—

I know it burns the member for Perth up!

Opposition members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Those on my left will desist, particularly the member for Perth.

Jamie Briggs (Mayo, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

She left such a legacy up in Karratha that they remember the member for Perth up there; they remember you well and truly up there! So these projects that will raise productivity—

Opposition members interjecting—

They are very excited today, Madam Speaker; there is something in the water over there?

These are projects which will ensure that we get higher productivity, more jobs and a better and stronger Australia. They will be delivered—

Mr Danby interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Melbourne Ports is warned.

Jamie Briggs (Mayo, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

But what would make them easier to deliver is getting rid of the mining tax, by getting away from the Greens and backing the coalition to get rid of the mining tax. That is what the Australian people voted for on 7 September. We will keep delivering infrastructure and we will have the infrastructure Prime Minister stand there proudly and deliver it for Australia.