Craig Laundy (Reid, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport and Regional Development. Will the minister update the House on how the government is delivering essential transport infrastructure that Australians need without having to increase taxes, including building game-changing infrastructure in Western Sydney?

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Reid full well knows how important the Western Sydney Airport is. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Australia.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Macarthur is warned.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's a once-in-a-generation opportunity: a $5 billion investment. There's $3 billion worth of enabling supporting infrastructure, including roads. During the construction period, there are going to be 11,000 jobs created, and, once the airport is completed, 28,000 direct and indirect jobs created from this piece of nation-building infrastructure. The Prime Minister knows how important it is. He turned the first sod for the Western Sydney Airport in September.

When we, as Liberals and Nationals, say that we're going to do something—do you know what?—we get on and we do it. When we say we're going to lower taxes for small and medium-sized and family enterprise businesses, we do it. We don't just say it; we do it. We live by our credo—we get on and we do it. When we say we're going to help small and family enterprises, and big businesses too, create a million jobs in five years—do you know what?—we do it. We don't just say it; we do it. When we say we're going to lower taxes, we don't just say it; we do it.

Western Sydney Airport is not Sydney's second airport; it's Western Sydney's first airport. And it is going to create so much hope and opportunity and enterprise in Western Sydney. The member for Reid knows full well how many jobs and opportunities this is going to create. This 24-hour airport is going to create 24 hours of jobs, 24 hours of enterprise, 24 hours of industrious activity in Western Sydney. I'm sure that those opposite who represent that Western Sydney Airport area are going to be cheering this home too, as well they should. The member for Lindsay, the member for Macquarie and the member for Chifley know how many jobs and opportunities this is going to create.

We're getting on with building the infrastructure that Australians want, need, expect and deserve. Just last week, I was in the member for Parkes's electorate talking to people about inland rail—the Inland Rail, a 1,700-kilometre corridor of commerce. The first plans for inland rail were drawn up in 1905—

Linda Burney (Barton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Preventing Family Violence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Whoa!

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

'Whoa!' the member for Barton says. She's excited about it—as well she should be, because it's not just regional Australia that this is going to benefit. It is about Melbourne. It is about Brisbane. It is about easing congestion on our roads. Just like Western Sydney Airport is going to ease congestion around Kingsford Smith, so too is the Inland Rail going to ease congestion, making sure that people get home sooner and more safely on our roads. We're building the aviation, we're building the Inland Rail, we're getting on and building the roads, because we don't just say it, we don't just talk about it; we do it.