Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Treasurer, the Minister for Finance, Senator Cormann. Can the minister inform the Senate about the importance of the coalition government's investment in the world-class Perth freight link project in my home state of Western Australia and its importance for economic growth and job creation?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Smith for that very important question. The Perth Freight Link project is a very important project not only for Western Australia; it is a project of national significance. It will help us drive stronger growth and stronger job creation by getting our products to market more efficiently and at a lower cost, more safely and, of course, with less disruption to local communities along the transport routes to Fremantle port. That is why the Australian government have committed nearly a billion dollars as part of this $1.6 billion investment. It finally creates a long overdue, world-class freight link between the strategic industrial areas of Perth and Fremantle port. I know it is enthusiastically supported by Senator Ludlam, who I see is nodding. It provides travel time savings of almost 10 minutes from the Kwinana Freeway to Fremantle port and delivers economic benefits of more than $3.9 billion to the Western Australian economy.

Why is this project so important and why does it contribute to growth and jobs? Because Australia is a trading nation. Western Australia is a trading state with about 10 per cent of the population and it contributes 47 per cent of Australia's merchandise exports. Of course Fremantle port is a critical part of the trading infrastructure of Western Australia and Australia. But the challenge that we have is that, with a growing population and a growing volume of freight being taken from the industrial areas around Perth and the north of Perth to Fremantle port, more and more of that traffic is utilising local arterial roads that are not designed for that purpose. We need to ensure that we get our produce to port and to markets in the most efficient, safest, least-costly way that causes the least amount of disruption to communities across Western Australia.

Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister inform the Senate how the coalition government's investment in productive infrastructure helps boost growth and creates jobs?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I have indicated, with increases in population and significant increases in the volume of freight being taken across the Perth metropolitan area to Fremantle, we are confronted in Western Australia—and in other metropolitan places around Australia—with increasing levels of congestion. These increased levels act as a handbrake on economic growth. That is why we need to make this significant investment in productivity-enhancing economic infrastructure as part of our plan for stronger growth and more jobs.

That is why the Australian government is making a record investment of more than $50 billion in productivity-enhancing infrastructure across Australia, building the roads of the 21st century. Providing a more efficient freight route to the Fremantle port has been talked about for decades, but nobody has delivered. This government, working with the Barnett government, is delivering.

Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister inform the Senate whether there are any alternative policies that deliver much needed infrastructure and jobs for our home state of Western Australia?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Labor Party has no plan for road infrastructure in Western Australia. When they last were in government, they wanted to take billions of dollars in tax out of Western Australia through their job-destroying mining tax and send a few crumbs back across the Nullarbor.

Now we have the member for Perth, Alannah MacTiernan, campaigning against the Perth Freight Link. Senator Smith and other senators from WA would well remember that 15 years ago she campaigned against the Northbridge Tunnel and the Graham Farmer Freeway only to rush to the front row and take her seat at the official opening. That is of course infrastructure that now has hundreds of thousands of cars using it every single day.

The Transport Workers Union represented here by Senator Sterle came out earlier this week—

Senator Sterle interjecting—

and he is interjecting and he should be listening—and supported our Perth Freight Link project investment, and Senator Sterle should pull Alannah MacTiernan into line on behalf of his members. (Time expired)