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

My question is addressed to the Prime Minister. Is the Prime Minister aware that Brisbane's Cross River Rail project was approved by Infrastructure Australia in 2012, was the subject of a detailed agreement between the federal and Queensland governments in 2013 and was funded in the 2013 budget? Why is the Prime Minister purporting to support public transport in our cities while pretending that this essential project is not ready to go?

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Cross River Rail project is being considered by Infrastructure Australia now. The honourable member is mistaken, I am afraid: it is being considered by Infrastructure now, and we are awaiting IA's assessment of the project. I will ask the Minister for Urban Infrastructure to add to that answer.

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Minister for Urban Infrastructure) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the shadow minister for his question. Let me start by clearing up an inaccuracy in the previous information he provided to the parliament. Page 133 of the budget papers contains the allocation of $600 million for the Infrastructure Investment Program. It is disappointing to see these kinds of misleading statements being made.

Now, I am asked about Cross River Rail. I note that the Queensland Coordinator General's report on Cross River Rail contains half a page describing the differences between the version that was approved in 2012 and the version that has now been lodged. This is not the same project. It has changed materially. And what is important is that we have a proper process for assessing this business case. That is the process we are working through with Infrastructure Australia. Infrastructure Australia is a body that was set up by indeed the shadow minister when he was the minister. This government is committed to a proper allocation of taxpayers' funds and to properly and carefully assessing projects before there is a commitment of Commonwealth funding. That is a proper process. We have already committed $10 million for planning, and there is a careful and thorough process underway. So, it is very important that the parliament be provided with the facts with a series of, regrettably, misleading statements.