Anne Aly (Cowan, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the announced upgrade of the road corridor between Karratha and Tom Price.

Mr Morrison interjecting—

Mr Albanese interjecting—

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

The member for Cowan will just pause. We need the interchange across the table to stop so that we can hear the question, and I want to make sure the member for Cowan's microphone is on—no, don't touch it.

Anne Aly (Cowan, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just trying to be helpful.

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

I'll tell you what: if you break the microphone, I'll be helpful and send you the bill, okay? The member for Cowan has the call.

Anne Aly (Cowan, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the announced upgrade of the road corridor between Karratha and Tom Price. Can the Prime Minister confirm that a child who starts school this year will be in high school before the upgrade is complete?

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

A child who begins school this year will benefit from the fact that this government backs the resources sector. Under those opposite, had they taken government on 18 May—they didn't back the resources sector and it was writ large. Karratha and Tom Price are reliant on a strong and vibrant resources sector. I was in Western Australia just the other day.

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

More cheers for our $100 billion 10-year pipeline of investment in infrastructure. When it comes to investing in infrastructure in regional Western Australia, I'm not quite sure why one of the metropolitan Western Australian representatives is suddenly interested in regional areas. Let me tell you: on this side of the House, we're very interested in regional Australia and we're very interested in making sure that we've got investments in the resources sector to make it vibrant, to make it strong and to make it lasting, because we back the resources sector. The member for Hunter has only just cottoned on to the fact that people in his electorate are behind the resources sector, and those opposite should know that resources provide tens upon tens of thousands of jobs, provide many billions of dollars for our balance of payments for our exports and provide the energy needs of this nation. They seemed to forget that prior to 18 May. They seemed to forget it and think that anybody who worked in a mine, who worked in a high-vis vest, somehow should have been demonised. They learnt their lesson on 18 May when the resources sector backed this side, backed the Liberals, backed the Nationals, as they should have.

When it comes to roads for mining industries, we're getting on and building those roads. Indeed, I was never so proud as when I was standing at Laverton, where the bitumen road out of Laverton ends, 12 kilometres along the Outback Way, and a fellow who runs a mine there said: 'You know, this is going to benefit our mine. It takes 12 hours to drive from Laverton to my mine, and, because the Liberals and Nationals are getting on and building the road, putting bitumen down at long last—the other side: well, I don't know whether they ever would, but you blokes are doing it, so well done to you—that's going to save nine hours on my trucks, to get from here to there, and that's going to create productivity savings.' He's going to be able to invest further in his mine.

That's why we've had 36 months of unbroken jobs growth in this nation, because we back the resources sector, we back infrastructure and we get on with the job—

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

The Deputy Prime Minister will resume his seat. The Deputy Prime Minister has indicated he has concluded his answer. I call the member for Moncrieff.