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 Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. I refer the minister to his joint media release with the Deputy PM of 31 August which stated:

The Bolivia Hill upgrade builds on ... the $10 million I recently confirmed for the future Tenterfield Heavy Vehicle Bypass.

Isn't it a fact that the Tenterfield heavy vehicle bypass was funded by the former federal Labor government? Why has it taken the prospect of a snap by-election in New England to panic the government into action on this long-overdue project? And is this why he stopped referring to the Turnbull-Joyce— (Time expired)

Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Deputy Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Grayndler for his question and say that it's a great day when I get to answer questions on behalf of my great friend, the Leader of the National Party and Deputy Prime Minister, on all the things he's delivering in New England—all the things the Turnbull-Joyce government is delivering in New England.

The member for Grayndler likes to refer to projects as being funded by Labor. The problem for the member for Grayndler is he doesn't understand a very basic principle: it's actually funded by the Australian taxpayers. The hardworking Australian taxpayers provide the money for Treasury and Finance, and we make decisions on the priorities and how we're going to spend that money and deliver value for money for the Australian taxpayers.

The member for Grayndler says it was funded by Labor, but it wasn't built by Labor. They didn't build it; they didn't build a thing. Bolivia Hill—didn't build it. Tenterfield bypass—didn't build it. Melbourne-Brisbane inland rail—didn't build it. The member for Grayndler didn't build it. I don't believe New England has ever had better representation in this place than the Leader of the National Party and Deputy Prime Minister. He is delivering road and rail infrastructure. He is delivering better bridges through the Bridges Renewal program. He is delivering safer roads through the Black Spot Program—

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

More money for schools.

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mobile phone towers.

Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Deputy Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

More money for schools and mobile phone towers. There has never been a member for New England who has delivered more for his community. I want to thank the member for Grayndler for giving me the opportunity to extol the virtues of what a great member the member for New England has been and will continue to be for many, many more years to come.

As those opposite come to the dispatch box this week and talk about citizenship, I tell you now: when you go out to the worksite—if you ever go to the worksite anymore—the workers are talking about job security, energy affordable and reliability, and national security. None of them are talking about dual citizenship. So I would suggest to those opposite: get off the comfy green benches over there and get out to some of those work sites and listen to what real workers are talking about. They're talking about the jobs being provided through the Turnbull-Joyce government's jobs and infrastructure program which is delivering right around regional Australia. They're talking about energy affordability; they're talking about the cost of living. I would suggest that those opposite get out there and understand the issues that Australians are actually interested in.