Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, Senator Cash. Given the $3 billion of federal contribution currently committed to the East West Link project, a massive, polluting road which Victorians rejected, my question is: regarding the evidence we now have that the contracted consortium wrote their own side letter ensuring exorbitant compensation if the new government sensibly did not build it, was the government aware that the secret side letter had been drafted by the consortium and signed off by the then Victorian government? Was it perhaps mentioned at a meeting of the steering committee for East West Link that the federal government was represented on? If so, did the federal government approve?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can I say 'thank you' to Senator Rice for the question. Senator Rice, the only infrastructure you—I was actually going to say 'those opposite' but I will include the Australian Greens in it—are interested in building is roadblocks. That is all you are interested in. The East West Link is a good project. It is a project that is going to create jobs for Victorians. That is what this government is all about. This government is into job creation. As the leader of the government has correctly said, 6,000 jobs, and you watch—

Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I raise a point of order on relevance. The minister was specifically asked about whether the federal government knew the letter was written by the proponents and did the federal government know about it.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will remind the minister of the question. The minister has one minute and 16 seconds in which to answer.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Apart from the 6,000 jobs that clearly those opposite, including Senator Rice, do not want to create, this takes incompetence by Labor state governments to a whole new level. It is the only government in Australia that actually wants to pay in excess of $1 billion not to build a road. If I thought those opposite were incompetent, the new Premier of Victoria is taking a leaf out of the book of the good Senator Wong's book.

Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, a point of order on relevance: my question was directly related to the existence of a secret side letter and whether the government had been aware that it was drafted by the consortium.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cash, I remind you of the question and indicate that you have 37 seconds in which to answer the question.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thought the question was in relation to the East West Link, which this government actually supports. I also have to say that I thought Mr Shorten, at one stage, backed it. But then he seemed to do another backflip, and nobody seems to know any more what is actually going on apart—

Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, a point of order on relevance: on two occasions the minister has been drawn to the question, and she is refusing to answer it. You have drawn her attention to the question on two previous occasions. I ask you to do it for a third time. It seems that the minister is not prepared to answer this question.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do remind the minister of the question and I inform the minister that she has 21 seconds in which to answer the question.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think we just witnessed some preselection jostling within the Australian Greens. Clearly, Senator Di Natale wishes that he had been given that question.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, I draw you back to the question.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I said, in relation to this project, this is a government that leaves in building jobs, creating jobs for Australia, and building the infrastructure of tomorrow. It is just a little bit of a shame that the Australian Greens will not get on board. (Time expired)

Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Given the minister was not willing to answer the question, in more general terms does the minister believe that it is good practice to booby trap major infrastructure projects for incoming governments by making deals like this with big business?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Let me tell you what I do believe. I believe it is good practice to deliver projects that are going to create 6,000 jobs for Victorians, and I do not consider it good practice for a government to pay in excess of $1 billion of taxpayers' money not to build a road. This government has a very, very clear message for the Victorian Labor government, and it is a very simple one: build the road.

Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. WestConnex is another massive, polluting tollway that residents do not want, with many of the hallmarks of the east-west tollroad. Residents do not want it and it will not fix congestion. Given the lessons learnt in Victoria, why is the government continuing to commit billions of federal taxpayer dollars? Is this part of what the Australian newspaper asserts with the headline: 'Perhaps the PM just isn't any good at politics'?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In relation to WestConnex, can I just say what the benefits to the people of New South Wales are going to be, because, again, this is an example of good infrastructure. It is expected to deliver $20 billion worth of economic benefit to the people of New South Wales—$20 billion. It is expected to boost local economies. It is expected to improve travel times. It is expected to create 10,000 jobs. Senator Rice, what are you opposed to—the creation of jobs? Is that what you are opposed to? Are you opposed to better transport? Are you opposed to building the infrastructure that is going to ensure that Australians today and tomorrow are able to travel in an efficient manner?

Senator Colbeck interjecting—

As Senator Colbeck says: you are actually opposed to development! (Time expired)