Bert Van Manen (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Urban Infrastructure. Will the minister update the House on the government's record $75 billion Infrastructure Investment Program? How is this investment program delivering major projects right across the country, including in my state of Queensland? And are there any alternatives?

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

I thank the member for Forde, who is of course a very strong champion of infrastructure for Queensland and for his electorate of Forde. Indeed, it was just recently that there was an announcement of a $500 million package, comprising the Mudgeeraba to Varsity Lakes section of the M1 being widened, a major upgrade of the M1 at the Gateway Motorway merge point at Eight Mile Plains, a major upgrade of Walkerston Bypass near Mackay and the widening of the Mount Lindesay Highway. The member for Forde was central to the advocacy for that, as were the members for McPherson, Moncrieff, Fadden, Wright, Dawson and Capricornia—a team effort for Queensland, the Turnbull government delivering for Queensland, as we are continuing to do. The facts are these: in this budget there is a commitment of $7.65 billion between 2017-18 and 2020-21—indeed, $2.1 billion just in 2017-18. Let us focus on the Bruce Highway for a moment, always a topic of great interest to the Queensland team in the Turnbull government. There is $844 million for new upgrades to the Bruce Highway in this budget. I commend the work of my friend, the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, in delivering this: $530 million for Pine River to Caloundra and $120 million for an upgrade to the Deception Bay interchange.

Deception Bay is a very appropriate point to turn to the shadow minister's approach to the question of infrastructure, because he claims, incorrectly, that there has been a cut in infrastructure spending. In fact the average numbers 2013-14 to 2020-21 are $8 billion; under the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd government, $6 billion. What is the difference? He has just tried to assume away equity investment. Now I am after their alternative approaches. It turns out there are actually two alternative approaches, and they are both on that side of the chamber. The shadow minister claims that we are cutting infrastructure investment, because he deliberately ignores billions of dollars in equity investments. The Leader of the Opposition, in his recent CEDA speech, had this to say:

… we need a new approach to infrastructure, clearing the way for superannuation funds and others to invest in good projects …

So it seems the shadow minister says, 'Grants are good and equity is bad.' It seems the opposition leader says, 'Grants are good and equity is better.' We have seen this kind of Orwellian approach before. It takes a special kind of talent to bring this doctrinaire Orwellianism to infrastructure, but this lot, unfortunately, has it.

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

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