Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. In 2019 the Prime Minister said that population growth driven by migration was causing strain on our big cities, and was a wake-up call to fast-track spending on major road and rail projects. But in this year's budget there is no new spending on major infrastructure projects in our capital cities. If the Prime Minister thought this was an issue in 2019, why has he done nothing about it now he is in power and there will be an extra 1.5 million people who will come to Australia over five years?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank whoever suggested that they give me a question on infrastructure! I thank them very much—whoever the member of the tactics committee was who put that forward.

We've already said that, on the issue of migration: in 2019, they were in government, and their projections, of course, when they were in government were for higher migration than we have today—higher numbers. That is the fact.

One of the things that have happened is—I will go through one example, really clearly, so that somehow they get this—you used to have students arrive in Australia who'd produce an income, and they'd count as part of the NOM. Students were coming for first year; other people would finish their degree and they'd go. What happened? There was a pandemic, and people didn't come, so they weren't there to go. What has happened now is the economy has opened up. Students are coming to start their degrees, but they're not leaving, because they haven't finished their degrees! I mean, it is not hard.

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order. The Prime Minister will just pause for a moment. Members on my right will cease interjecting. The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order?

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On relevance, Mr Speaker: the question is not about the people who are coming. The question is: why did he say infrastructure was needed in 2019 but he now says it's not needed?

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question also included the proposition of about 1.5 million people coming to Australia. I think that's what the Prime Minister is referring to in his answer. So I'm just going to ask him to continue.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I certainly am. They don't even read their own questions before they ask them, Mr Speaker—and he's in charge of their tactics!

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order. The Prime Minister will continue with his answer.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So, when it comes to infrastructure, indeed, we will be a nation-building infrastructure government, and one of the things that we've done is reassess programs that weren't part of commitments that we made, because of their incompetence when it comes to infrastructure. And we saw that in project after project—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Manager of Opposition Business has asked his question.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

where projects that were worth hundreds of millions of dollars were promised, with funding attached to them worth $50 million or $40 million, and no state agreement, no partnership agreement and no process to actually deliver them, because they were incompetent when it comes to infrastructure.

The best example of that, of course, is Inland Rail, where a project that began in single digits of billions of dollars of cost, has now been costed at $31 billion—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Riverina!

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

with it literally being 'inland rail' because it doesn't go to a port anywhere! It doesn't go to Brisbane port, it didn't go to Gladstone port and it didn't go to Melbourne port. They had a project riddled by incompetence. So we had to do a review of that. And these projects are important, but you've actually got to get it right. You've got to get it right. And, just as this bloke got Badgerys Creek— (Time expired)

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Manager of Opposition Business will be warned if he continues to keep interjecting.

Alright. The member for Riverina is warned. He's had a good go.

Honourable members interjecting—

Order! I want to hear from the member for Hasluck.