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

Labor stands for the best solution to infrastructure bottlenecks. Labor favours neither roads over rail nor rail over roads. Labor stands for the best solution to congestion as recommended by experts. That is why we established Infrastructure Australia. Labor allocated funds to WestConnex strictly subject to infrastructure Australia's approval of the business case and on the proviso that it be addressed to the major issue of people's access to the CBD and freight to and from Port Botany. The coalition's plan does neither, and Infrastructure Australia is still assessing the project's merit. Given that the Greens political party has backed the Infrastructure Australia model, we are surprised by this motion that seeks to supplant expert opinion and which, even if carried, will have no effect on this government. The motion also includes factual errors. The Greens political party has an unreasonable fixation against funding roads, just as the federal coalition has an unreasonable fixation against funding public transport. Labor supports the modal solution that gives community the best value.