Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Martin for the question, and I acknowledge his very strong advocacy for the people of regional Tasmania. I'm so proud to be part of a government that's put in place a $75 billion decade-long pipeline of transport infrastructure projects. It's just remarkable. For those on the other side who are wondering, 'How did you do that?' what we do is deliver a strong economy. We've got a great economic team delivering a strong economy, and the benefits of that strong economy have to flow back to Australians.

We are now able to invest—a $75 billion investment—but that's just not roads that connect people. That's not just vital infrastructure. That's jobs. You've been wondering how the coalition's been doing those jobs. There are 1,100 jobs today that would not have been there for families across Australia if Labor had been on the Treasury benches. There are 1,100 families who would not be saying, 'I've got a new job today!' or 'I've got a new breadwinner today!' It is simply beyond Labor.

We're connecting our cities with regional communities, productivity from our industry—connecting regional Australia and their product with the markets in the cities. We're building the roads, rail and airports that Australians and, indeed, Tasmanians require. We're building a legacy, not only building a good economy and investing in infrastructure. We are leaving a legacy of jobs, jobs and jobs. That's why we've grown our economy. All these projects are job-creating superchargers. There are 50,000 direct and indirect jobs right across our nation. There is the $600 million Northern Australia Roads Program. We continue to strengthen the budget position. We can continue to invest in vital infrastructure across Australia.