Matt Williams (Hindmarsh, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you for your patience in allowing me to rise to my feet. My question is to the Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development. Will the minister please update the House on the progress of the North-South Corridor in South Australia, and can the minister update us on the benefits for jobs and also for small businesses in my electorate and South Australia?

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

Before I call the assistant minister could I advise the people who are determining when the clock is switched on and off to kindly do it correctly. That is at the beginning of the question. The assistant minister.

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

Thank you to the member for Hindmarsh for that question. We know in this House that the member for Hindmarsh was the lead advocate for the Torrens to Torrens project.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

He argued very strongly—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Is it in order for the minister to mislead the House? Torrens to Torrens was in the 2013 budget, and Steve Georganas—

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

The member will resume his seat. The member knows perfectly well that, if he wishes to make an assertion as to misleading the House, there are proper forms of the House to do it. This is not the way. The assistant minister has the call.

Ms Kate Ellis interjecting—

The member for Adelaide will desist.

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

He has had a big couple of weeks, and congratulations to the Bunnies on their win, Member for Grayndler.

The Torrens to Torrens project was advocated very strongly by the member for Hindmarsh. In fact, he wrote to me on 27 September—I think it was the day he was sworn in—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It was budgeted in 2013!

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

The member for Grayndler will desist.

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

to ensure that we funded both the Torrens to Torrens project and the Darlington project, which the Labor Party opposed. The member for Boothby has been fighting for the Darlington project for many years. In fact, the member for Grayndler actually had the Darlington upgrade of South Road as a priority in 2008.

In addition to that, the infrastructure prime minister made very clear in October last year that we will upgrade the entire North-South Corridor in Adelaide in a decade because it is a very important economic upgrade for our economy and we all know in South Australia that the economy is struggling. It is struggling under 12 years of a very bad government at state level.

David Feeney (Batman, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Justice) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What about the submarines?

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

The honourable member mentions the submarines. It is interesting.

Ms Kate Ellis interjecting—

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

The member for Adelaide will desist.

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

If the honourable member's cabinet had done something about the submarines in the six years you put off the decision, they would be being built today. We know Labor's record was failure not just with regard to infrastructure but also with defence procurement. It was a complete and utter failure. In fact, they cut $25 billion out of the defence budget, putting the project well behind.

Mr Shorten interjecting—

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

The Leader of the Opposition will desist.

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

The Torrens to Torrens and Darlington projects will create thousands of jobs over the next four years. They are funded by nearly $1 billion of federal government money and $600 million of state government money. Stephen Mullighan, the state minister, has been terrific to work with to get these projects up and away. He shares the commitment that we have to do both the Torrens to Torrens and the Darlington project. And we are also working on ensuring that we have a 10-year plan to upgrade, as the infrastructure prime minister's commitment made very clear.

This is a government that has an economic plan. We are delivering upon our economic plan. We are fixing the mess that was left to us by the Labor Party—the budget crisis we were left—but we are getting on with our growth plan to create more opportunities, more jobs and a stronger Australia.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.