Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Madam Acting Deputy President; I appreciate your protection. The differences between Labor and Liberal on broadband illustrate the differences between Labor and Liberal on the need to invest in the infrastructure to guarantee Australia’s future. The Liberal Party wanted to sit back and let the market sort it out, but major infrastructure projects do not come about without government investment and, most importantly, without leadership. It is this do-nothing approach that has seen the Liberal Party oppose the Australian government’s economic stimulus package and the nation-building agenda at nearly every turn.

In conclusion, the Nation Building Program (National Land Transport) Amendment Bill 2009 should be supported in the Senate. It is key legislation for the effective implementation of the Australian government’s $26.4 billion investment in rail and road infrastructure. As a South Australian senator, I am particularly pleased about the range of projects that are being funded in my home state. I have mentioned them; they are both in the north and in the south, and I am very pleased that those developments have all been made in my state.