Ewen Jones (Herbert, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Major Projects. Will the minister outline what the trend is in infrastructure spending and what it has been over the years, and are there any alternative views?

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Minister for Territories, Local Government and Major Projects) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Herbert for that question. He is of course a fierce advocate for his community—for Townsville and surrounding areas—and a fierce advocate for northern Australia. He is a fine parliamentarian and was, deservedly, recently appointed a government whip. As he would know, the Turnbull government's $50 billion infrastructure plan is the biggest infrastructure investment of any government. It is $17 billion more than Labor promised for its infrastructure investment program in the lead-up to the last election.

Of course, people in the member for Herbert's electorate will benefit from the government's northern Australia package. They will benefit from the government's investment in the Bruce Highway in Queensland. Construction on seven projects and three safety projects are currently underway, including major work between Cooroy and Curra in the north and south of Townsville, and across the Yeppen Floodplain south of Rockhampton. The Turnbull government has also committed to the Townsville Ring Road, with a commitment of $160 million complementing $40 million from the Queensland government, which is due to be completed in 2017.

The member for Herbert asked me whether there have been any alternative views expressed about the trend in infrastructure spending. It turns out that there have been some alternative views expressed recently by the member for Grayndler, who has quoted some very selectively identified statistics about the rate at which infrastructure is changing. Of course my natural instinct is to take everything that the member for Grayndler says at face value! But I am inspired by that great statesman Ronald Reagan, who said, as a principle, 'Trust, but verify.' I thought it might be a good idea to go back and check the claim made by the member for Grayndler, and what I discovered is that he has selectively chosen the quarters that he is using to compare. He has chosen to compare the June quarter 2013 and the June quarter 2015 to claim that there has been some reduction. But in fact if we compare the last quarter of the Labor government—the September quarter 2013—with the latest quarter results which have been issued, there is, Mr Speaker, you will be, I am sure, pleased to hear, a 4.7 per cent increase in transport infrastructure work done for the public sector, and a 14.5 per cent increase in roads, highways and bridges work done for the public sector. So the trend is clear. The Turnbull government is committed to infrastructure investment. We are committed to delivering infrastructure outcomes to benefit the people of Australia.