Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. The Albanese Labor government has committed to investing in infrastructure that is nationally significant and delivers for our communities. How is the government working to deliver an infrastructure pipeline that is sustainable, comprises nationally significant projects and aligns to market capacity?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Polley. I really do appreciate that question from Senator Polley, who I know understands the importance of infrastructure to local communities in her state of Tasmania. Before I answer, though, can I also take the opportunity to acknowledge in the gallery Alice Springs mayor Matt Paterson. I've met with Mayor Paterson in Alice Springs, as I know many others have. We welcome you to the chamber.

As we all know, the previous government left the infrastructure investment pipeline in a total mess, just like the entire budget that we inherited.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And, geez, don't they hate being reminded of it! The infrastructure program under the coalition government was full of backed-up projects that were announced without the support of states or territories, were poorly scoped, were underfunded and couldn't be delivered because there weren't the tradespeople to build them. And why? Simply to win votes. The infrastructure program of the coalition government was undeliverable and spiralling out of control, having blown out from 150 projects to almost 800 projects. The previous government got addicted to press releases and neglected the hard work of actually building infrastructure. What do we remember about the last government? It was all announcement, no delivery. It was a government that made investment decisions on the basis of colour-coded spreadsheets. Even now, they still boast about it.

One of the things that separates our government from those opposite is that when we make a promise on infrastructure you can actually believe it. That's because, as many Australians have observed—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator Henderson!

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

we now have a government of adults in charge.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Henderson!

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What a novel suggestion that is. What a change that is from the last rabble that we had, the Liberal Party, unable to run a budget, running the budget into the ground, with the National Party members making wild promises and National Party ministers running around the countryside promising all sorts of infrastructure projects that they didn't fund and didn't have the tradespeople to deliver. The Labor government is going to do a much better job of that. You will hear a lot more about that tonight. I'm looking forward to seeing— (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Henderson, I called you to order twice and you ignored that. I would ask you to respect the Senate. Senator Polley, a supplementary question?

Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

After a decade of waste and rorts, the Albanese government is cleaning up the mess left by the Liberals and Nationals in the infrastructure portfolio. How is the government demonstrating a commitment to nation-building infrastructure and bringing certainty to the infrastructure sector?

Hon. Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm going to remind senators, particularly on my left, that when a question is being asked I expect you to be quiet.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you again, Senator Polley. The Albanese government is committed to investing in projects that are truly nationally significant and will deliver real benefits to Australians. After a decade of waste and rorts, the Albanese government is getting on with the job of delivering actual projects—not just promises but actual projects—that will benefit communities right across Australia for years to come. We're getting on with the job of delivering important nation-building infrastructure like the Bruce Highway upgrades from Cairns to Townsville to Rockhampton and even all the way down to the outskirts of Brisbane. There's the Kuranda Range road in North Queensland, as well as many others in Senator Polley's home state of Tasmania.

To get our infrastructure pipeline back on a stable footing, though, we have already announced a 90-day independent review of the Infrastructure Investment Program that will ensure that we are investing in projects that are truly nationally significant to make sure that freight keeps moving, that people can get home safely and that connections between our cities and our regions are strong.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Polley, a second supplementary question?

Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For a decade, the Liberals and Nationals used colour-coded spreadsheets and political motives to determine infrastructure investments. What has the government inherited from the coalition in the infrastructure pipeline, and how will the Albanese government clean up the mess left behind?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And what a mess we did inherit in the infrastructure program. It's an infrastructure program too full of colour-codes in their spreadsheets to actually be delivered, having, as I said, blown out from 150 to almost 800 projects.

Let's just remember a couple of the highlights of the Liberal and National parties' infrastructure program. Remember the Inland Rail, which we were promised was going to cost $9.3 billion but which has now blown out to approximately $31 billion, with the potential for costs to rise even further? How about the Urban Congestion Fund, full of imaginary car parks in marginal seats? These were projects that were grossly underfunded and, in some cases, committed without land even being available. The former Treasurer, who's no longer with us, committed $260 million to remove a level crossing next to his own electorate without telling the state government that runs the train line. The funding was also hundreds of millions of dollars short of the actual funding required to do the job.

We are adults. We are an adult government and we're going to have an infrastructure program that can be delivered, rather than mythical— (Time expired)