Tuesday, 28 May 2024

 David SOUTHWICK (Caulfield) (14:28): My question is to the Minister for Transport Infrastructure. Earlier today, when asked if airport rail should be a priority over SRL East, the Deputy Premier said that we can do both together. The government has paused airport rail until at least 2029, yet SRL East is still currently being built. Has the Deputy Premier announced a change of government policy?

 Danny PEARSON (Essendon – Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop, Assistant Treasurer, Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC) (14:29): I thank the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party for the question, and I take exception to an observation made by the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party. The issue here is that we have been dealing with appalling and abhorrent behaviour by the private operator of the airport. That is the reason why this project has been delayed. The issue here is that at every step of the way the airport has blocked and frustrated any attempt to try to get a deal done. We spent three years trying to get a deal done with the airport, and there has been no luck to date.

David Southwick: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, I would ask you to bring the minister to answering the question.

Chris Couzens interjected.

The SPEAKER: The member for Geelong can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Member for Geelong withdrew from chamber.

The SPEAKER: The minister was being relevant to the question that was asked.

Danny PEARSON: The issue here is that through the intransigence and the belligerent behaviour of the airport there has not been a capacity to deliver Melbourne Airport rail at this time. We are getting on with the job of delivering the Suburban Rail Loop.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, I understand the minister is embarrassed by the Deputy Premier’s positioning, but I would ask you to bring the minister back to the question.

The SPEAKER: I would ask members to raise their points of order succinctly. The minister was being relevant to the question.

Danny PEARSON: The Suburban Rail Loop is a real project. It is here and it is now, and we are getting on with delivering this project. We had the first contract let late last year. We are getting on with working through the second series of contracts both for tunnelling and station boxes, as well as line-wide packages. We will have TBMs in the ground come 2026. We are getting on with this project because it stacks up and it is real and we cannot afford not to do it. In relation to the airport, the issue here is the fact that we have been dealing with an actor in the airport who has been a bad-faith actor.

 David SOUTHWICK (Caulfield) (14:31): The Deputy Premier also said that in some ways a billion dollars has already been spent on the north-western section of airport rail. What benefit have Victorians received for the billion dollars?

 Danny PEARSON (Essendon – Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop, Assistant Treasurer, Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC) (14:31): You can see why those opposite did not deliver a single project in their four wasted years of office.

David Southwick: On a point of order, Speaker, the minister is debating the question. I ask you to bring him back to answering the question.

The SPEAKER: The minister will come back to the question.

Danny PEARSON: You have got to plan for big infrastructure projects. You have to do the work. In this particular case we want to make sure that we have got the rail corridor preserved. We want to make sure that services have been relocated. We want to make sure that when, ultimately, agreement is reached, we can get on with it and deliver it. But those opposite, who wasted their time in office, did not deliver a single major project – lazy, lazy, lazy –

David Southwick: On a point of order, Speaker, the minister is defying your ruling, and I ask you to bring him back to answering the question, not debating it.

The SPEAKER: The minister will come back to the question.

Danny PEARSON: This is all about making sure that we preserve the corridor for the future benefit of Victorians. That is what we have done. We have made sure that we have got those services relocated and the corridor is there, and we hope that one day the airport might decide they want to support it and get on and deal with this project. But when you are dealing with a bad-faith actor who has got no interest at all in putting forward this project, who will not let us deliver the project on its land, it is a problem.