Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Hansard source

I also rise to take note of the Australian government commitment to the Melbourne Suburban Rail Loop east project report handed down by the Auditor-General. I firstly want to say to the members for Corio, Corangamite, Bendigo and Ballarat—those regional Labor MPs who have sat on their hands and done nothing while $2.2 billion was funnelled into this completely inadequate project in the heart of Melbourne, deserting the regions, deserting our infrastructure needs in regional Victoria—that this is an absolute disgrace. I say that because over three federal budgets not one bit of new funding for any major regional infrastructure project has emerged in the Albanese government's federal budget for regional Victoria. This is yet more confirmation that this inadequate, incompetent Labor government does not care about the regions. All it cares about doing is propping up a really bad Victorian Labor government with dodgy projects—not only undercooked but with no proper business case.

The federal government should not commit funding to the Suburban Rail Loop until this project has been subject to Infrastructure Australia assessment of a full business case. The fact that $2.2 billion was funnelled to this project under circumstances where the Albanese government turned its back on regional Victoria is, as I say, a shocking reflection of Labor's contempt for regional Victorians and, frankly, the regions right across this country. Prime Minister Albanese has gone back on his pre-election commitment that nationally significant projects would be subject to full Infrastructure Australia assessment. Do you know why? He just did a dodgy deal with Dan. That's what this is all about. Daniel Andrews, the former premier, rang him up and said: 'Mate, we need $2.2 billion. Don't worry about anyone else. All those seats in the regions? Forget them. We want you to prop up this project.' As we now see, this is an absolute debacle.

The coalition wrote to the Australian National Audit Office in December 2023 seeking an audit of the Albanese government's decision to commit $2.2 billion towards the Victorian Labor government's Suburban Rail Loop project. The project, as I say, does not have a full business case. The Victorian government has delayed submitting full business case documents to Infrastructure Australia. This is a project mired in smoke and mirrors and deception. Evidence provided to the Senate estimates revealed Infrastructure Australia requested detailed information from the Victorian government more than 18 months ago, with no response. By ensuring proposed amendments to the Infrastructure Australia Act enabling a full inquiry by Infrastructure Australia were withdrawn, the Albanese government has refused to subject the Suburban Rail Loop project to a review. As we have heard, the Victorian ombudsman found the project had blindsided key transport and infrastructure agencies, denying state experts the opportunity to provide impartial policy advice to the government or to assess this project against other infrastructure priorities.

We don't even know how much the Suburban Rail Loop will ultimately cost to build. However, the Victorian Parliamentary Budget Office released an updated cost-to-build assessment in March 2024. This estimate found a $16 billion cost blowout, taking the full Suburban Rail Loop east and north cost to build and operate to an eye-watering $216.7 billion through to 2084. Contrast that with funding for any new projects in Bendigo, in Ballarat, in Corio, in Corangamite: a big fat zero. Over three federal budgets, there has been no funding for any new projects. This is a disgrace. This demonstrates that this government is completely out of its depth and it has no integrity and no transparency. We're now seeing further evidence of it. (Time expired)