Andrew Hastie (Canning, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure. Will the minister outline to the House how the Morrison government's stable and certain economic plan has allowed us to bring forward infrastructure spending on crucial projects, including in the great state of Western Australia? And are there any alternative approaches?

Alan Tudge (Aston, Liberal Party, Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

( I thank the member for Canning for his question. The member for Canning joined myself and the finance minister, along with the Premier of Western Australia and the transport minister, just last week in bringing forward $868 million into the forward estimates for Western Australian infrastructure. That means the amount of money we'll be spending in Western Australia on infrastructure has been increased from $4.5 billion to $5.4 billion in just the next four years alone. By bringing forward these projects—

Ms Ryan interjecting—

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

The member for Lalor will cease interjecting!

Alan Tudge (Aston, Liberal Party, Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Obviously it will support thousands of jobs. It means commuters can get home sooner and safer and, of course, it supports the economy overall. We announced 14 projects on that day. One of them was in the member for Canning's electorate—he has been a passionate advocate of this for a long time—and that is Lakelands Station. That's an $80 million project, of which we're putting in $64 million, and it breaches what is presently a 23-kilometre gap between the train stations. It is good for local residents' convenience, it will take hundreds of cars off the roads by providing that extra stop and it will create 200 jobs in the process. We made the announcement on the Mitchell Freeway. We also announced that day the next stage of the Mitchell Freeway. That alone will create 500 jobs. The project we announced will start next year and, when complete, will save commuters up to 40 minutes every single week on morning commute times. The Great Eastern Highway upgrade—which I know the member for Hasluck is particularly keen to see—will create 70 jobs. The Fremantle Bridge—I know the member for Fremantle is excited to see this underway—is going to create 1,500 jobs.

A government member: He's celebrating.

He's celebrating the fact this will create 1,500 jobs and is being brought forward. We have funded these things though careful financial management. While bringing taxes down, while coming back to surplus, we've been able to fund these infrastructure projects in Western Australia. The contrast with when the Labor Party was last in government and trying to fund infrastructure projects in Western Australia—where do you think they went to fund those projects? Higher taxes. Back in 2011-12—

Ms Madeleine King interjecting—

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

The member for Brand!

Ms Madeleine King interjecting—

The member for Brand!

Alan Tudge (Aston, Liberal Party, Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Back in 2011-12 they explicitly said they would increase taxes—in this case, the mining tax—to fund infrastructure.

Ms Madeleine King interjecting—

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

The member for Brand is warned!

Alan Tudge (Aston, Liberal Party, Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Of course, that didn't work very well. But they've never learnt, in the six years since. In 2019, where were they going to fund infrastructure from? Higher taxes once again. Chairman Swan is in the building today. He was the architect of all this— (Time expired)