Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you. Labor opposes the motion. Its sentiments are worthy; however, the whole thrust of Labor's policy—and we thought of the Greens policy—around infrastructure was to leave decisions about the best solution to congestion problems to the infrastructure, transport and planning specialists. Labor has been critical of the coalition for its fixation on roads being the solution to every problem. Similarly, the view that public transport is always the answer makes another error.

The former federal Labor government allocated $3 billion to Melbourne's Metro Rail project, and we believe that that project is worthy and greatly needed with an Infrastructure Australia assessed BCR of 1.2. It is outrageous that the federal coalition has cut this project and shifted the money to the East West Link, which so far has not generated a verified BCR of greater than 0.8. This motion fails to condemn the federal coalition for already paying $1.5 billion to its mates in the shambolic Victorian coalition government two financial years before construction will commence. (Time expired)