Maria Kovacic (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

The Albanese government's 90-day infrastructure review turns 190 days old today and turns into a sad and sorry tale rather than the short and sharp review promised by the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government when she announced it on 1 May. Now, with inflation remaining well above the RBA's target band and another hit looking to present itself to Australian householders tomorrow, the government is wildly looking for a distraction from that event. I note that all but two government cabinet ministers aren't even here at Parliament House this week because the Prime Minister decided that the House didn't need to sit at all because there isn't a cost-of-living crisis, there isn't a housing crisis and people aren't stuck on roads. Nobody needs to be here to do their job apart from those in the Senate.

The government's argument that Labor must cut millions of dollars worth of infrastructure projects to curb inflation is misinformation. In response to Senator Sterle lecturing, 'If you haven't got the money you can't spend,' to Australian families, a lot of Aussies would sit back and say, 'That's not fair.' I would say lots of Aussies are saying, 'It's not fair that we're facing a cost-of-living crisis and increasing interest rates while you aren't even prepared to sit in the House and do your job.'

The Albanese government cut and delayed $9.6 billion worth of infrastructure projects in the October budget, and what have we seen for that? Our interest rates are going up and Australian families are feeling the pinch time and time again. In the final budget outcome for 2022-23, it was revealed that the government had cut a further $2.9 billion in road and rail expenditure between the October budget and 30 June. These cuts helped prop up their budget surplus but have been of no assistance to families stuck on congested streets while travelling to and from work every morning and every night.

More than 400 congestion-busting, productivity-enhancing and lifesaving projects have been put on hold by Labor's infrastructure review and are now at risk of cancellation. If projects are cancelled by Labor it will mean more time stuck in traffic, less-safe roads and a reduced commitment by government to achieving economy-growing, productivity-enhancing infrastructure, meaning more traffic time and less family time. These delays are causing uncertainty for business, suppliers and contractors, who have geared up in the materials and planned for the workforce needed to deliver these projects, which are now on hold.