Wednesday, 2 August 2023

Infrastructure projects

John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:32): My question is to the Deputy Premier. Does the minister agree with the Premier’s statement in relation to the government’s costings of major infrastructure projects that ‘things cost what they cost’?

Danny Pearson interjected.

The SPEAKER: Order! The Assistant Treasurer will come to order.

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop) (14:32): As a statement of fact, things do cost what they cost. I am not sure why we are quibbling over facts. It is a bit odd for the Leader of the Opposition to want to have an argument about facts. To put the question in the context that the Premier was making that quote, I was standing with the Premier that day, last Tuesday morning, when we were marking the arrival of the very first train running through the Metro Tunnel, a project that is a full year ahead of schedule and a project that is going to provide decades and decades of benefits for the Victorian community as it unlocks the entire train network and as it creates that 97-kilometre level-crossing-free corridor from Sunbury in the north to Pakenham in the south – and a shout-out to Cranbourne as well.

Just while I am on level crossings, if you want to talk about projects and costs, the level crossing program is not only ahead of schedule, it is also well under budget. I refer the opposition to last year’s budget, the 2022 budget, one of the many outstanding budgets delivered by our Treasurer, where the Level Crossing Removal Project returned $400 million to consolidated revenue. While we are talking about level crossings, we have removed a number of level crossings on the Cranbourne corridor as part of the Cranbourne line upgrade. That Cranbourne line upgrade is also under budget, and it is ahead of time. That project has delivered 10-minute frequencies to the growing Cranbourne community. And of course you can only do these extra frequencies on the outer parts of the network because we are untangling the heart of the network, which is why the Metro Tunnel is so important. I remember a time when rail projects were committed to and walked away from because they were too hard. We take a different approach: we deliver these projects, and we are so proud too to support the tens of thousands of workers who deliver these projects on behalf of Victorians.

John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:35): Is the up to $2 billion in compensation that Victorians will have to pay for the Commonwealth Games debacle another example of this government’s attitude to taxpayer funds that ‘things cost what they cost’?

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! I suspect I am going to anticipate the point of order from the Leader of the House.

Mary-Anne Thomas: On a point of order, Speaker, I am struggling to find the connection between the first question and the supplementary question. The first question was about the cost of a range of infrastructure projects. The second question was about the Commonwealth Games. I am really struggling to, as I said, find the connection there. I would ask that you ask the Leader of the Opposition to rephrase his question and perhaps –

The SPEAKER: Order! I have heard enough on the point of order, Leader of the House. It astounds me the disrespect that is being shown in this house today – absolutely astounds me.

James Newbury: Further to the point of order, Speaker, there was a clear link between the first and the supplementary questions. The supplementary question drilled down further into the substantive question and used a specific example, which the Deputy Premier confirmed in her initial answer.

The SPEAKER: I will allow the question on the basis that the words ‘things cost what they cost’ were used in both questions.

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop) (14:38): The key word clearly is ‘cost’ there in the Leader of the Opposition’s supplementary question. I want to draw your attention to this reference: ‘I have got no doubt that it could cost as much as $7 billion.’ Who said that? It was the Leader of the Opposition in the context of his support for the government’s decision regarding the Commonwealth Games. I acknowledge his bipartisan support when it comes to this question of cost. I also knowledge the bipartisan support for the work that we are doing on the legacy benefits from this decision. The question went to $2 billion – $2 billion is being invested right now in regional communities, in 1300 social and affordable housing homes and in community sporting infrastructure and tourism and major events work. The key reason we agreed in the first place to these games was that enduring legacy benefit, and that is absolutely being delivered for those regional communities.