Brett Whiteley (Braddon, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Prime Minister for that response. My question is to the Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development. Will the minister update the House on the government's commitment to invest in vital infrastructure across the country? Is the minister aware of recent claims about infrastructure spending? What is the government's response to these accusations?

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

I thank the member for Braddon for the question. It was a pleasure to spend some time with the members for Braddon, Bass and Lyons—the Tasmanian trio—a couple of weeks ago where we released the first ever Midland Highway plan with the Tasmanian government. It is a comprehensive plan to do that highway upgrade over the next decade in a well-planned and efficient manner. We are getting on with the job of delivering that infrastructure in Tasmania. This government is committed to infrastructure investment because it is a key part of our economic plan. The infrastructure Prime Minister is focused on ensuring that we are not just announcing projects around the country but delivering projects around the country.

Today we have seen the national accounts and we are pleased with the results. But we know we can do better. We can do better with better infrastructure, we can do better with an economy that is more efficient, and we can do better with a small business sector that is thriving. That is what our budget plan is all about. Our economic plan is predicated on creating new jobs and creating new economic opportunities for all Australians. We have done that in government by investing in new projects in Sydney with a concessional loan, for example, the WestConnex project, not just stage 1 but stage 2. We are working with New South Wales on stage 3 and more.

There is the second upgrade in South Australia on the North-South Corridor—the Darlington upgrade—a project that the Labor Party opposes. There is the Perth Freight Link—another project that the member for Perth, in particular, is opposed to—where we are focused on delivering a better freight link through Perth to deliver a stronger economy in Western Australia. There is the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing, a project that the Deputy Prime Minister is so committed to and the Minister for Industry is committed to. It will be delivered. Of course, we will retain $3 billion in a locked box to build the East West project, just like Sir Rod Eddington recommended.

We have also ensured that Infrastructure Australia is genuinely independent for the first time, where we will listen to Infrastructure Australia's advice. We will not spend the biggest amount of infrastructure money of all time in Australian history on a project like the NBN without a cost-benefit analysis. We will ensure there are cost-benefit analyses done on major projects.

Over the last few days, the member for Grayndler has, unusually, made some claims which are not backed up by the facts about alleged cuts in spending. I can correct the member for Grayndler to ensure that he understands that we are spending $16 billion more than what Labor would have, had they been elected in 2013. In fact, in Queensland itself, we are spending $4½ billion more. It was actually the secretary of the department whom the member for Grayndler himself appointed who said this week, when asked this question: 'We do not believe those assertions are correct.'

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.