Tuesday, 10 September 2024

Transport infrastructure

Darren CHEESEMAN (South Barwon) (14:22): My question is to the Premier. Recent published ABS evidence suggests that public sector expenditure on road and rail projects has helped the economy avoid a negative quarter of economic growth. These road and rail projects include North East Link, West Gate Tunnel, Metro Tunnel, Suburban Rail Loop and level crossing removals which have been built by Victorians for Victorians and opposed by some in this place. Why are these projects important to the economy and for Victorians?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:23): I thank the member for South Barwon for his question, and from what I could glean from the member’s question amongst the interjections –

Members interjecting.

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

Members for Bulleen and Polwarth withdrew from chamber.

Jacinta ALLAN: Certainly investment in road and rail infrastructure has been a big and important part of our government’s agenda, and it has been a big and important part of our government’s agenda because it achieves two aims. It keeps thousands and thousands of Victorians in a job, whether they are on construction sites or in the supply chain. That supply chain has been strengthened by our procurement policies that prioritise local jobs and prioritise local companies, and there is no better example of that than making sure that the trains that run on our network are made here in Victoria, as opposed to those opposite, who preferred those trains to be made in Korea.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Malvern is warned.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, this Dixer from the member from creep corner is not an opportunity to attack the opposition.

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order.

Jacinta ALLAN: We invest in infrastructure, unlike the period of time those opposite were in government, who preferred to see our trains made overseas and no projects supported in this state and who went further than that and cancelled the Metro Tunnel project and have since run around and called it a hoax and said it could not be built. Well, it is now being built. This is the double benefit you get from investing in transport infrastructure. Not only are you supporting jobs right now; you are also supporting jobs of the future. You are supporting a productive economy and community. You are supporting people getting to where they need to go safer and sooner, and certainly investing in rail infrastructure delivers a big equity outcome for our city and state.

It means that if you have that dream of going to Monash University and you cannot currently get there by train – Australia’s largest university without a train line – with the delivery of the Suburban Rail Loop you will be able to do that. Investing in regional rail connections has been absolutely vital in supporting the growth of our regional communities and economies, and we backed that in even harder with our fairer fares policy that has seen country people pay the same as city people on their public transport services. That is a fair outcome, and we have seen regional communities respond strongly.

Darren CHEESEMAN (South Barwon) (14:27): My supplementary question is to the Premier. Why is it important that the Albanese government partner with the Victorian government and give Victoria its fair share of federal infrastructure money in delivering these state-shaping infrastructure projects?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:27): While those opposite mock calls for Victoria to get our fair share, they have been absolutely silent –

Members interjecting.

Jacinta ALLAN: You only raise your voice in here when it is politically convenient, don’t you.

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier will resume her seat. The member for Gippsland South is warned.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, the Premier is debating the question. We are calling out the hypocrisy of this Labor member at the same time as the minister is talking about women’s rights.

The SPEAKER: I ask the Manager of Opposition Business to be succinct with his points of order. There is no need to give a statement in the house.

Danny Pearson: On the point of order, Speaker, the member for South Barwon is perfectly entitled to ask a question. The former member for Morwell Russell Northe had six years asking questions, and not once was he interrupted.

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order. I ask members to be respectful of members on their feet, irrespective of who they are. There is no point of order.

Cindy McLeish: On a different point of order, Speaker, I refer you to Rulings from the Chair, ‘Procedure for taking a point of order’, which says ‘Member with the call must give way’. This is on page 133. I bring to your attention the number of times, including the last time, when the Premier saw that a point of order was being taken and refused to give way.

The SPEAKER: I ask the Premier to come back to the question that was asked.

Jacinta ALLAN: We on this side of the house will always advocate for our fair share, because we will put Victoria first, unlike those opposite, who were silent year upon year upon year when the former federal Liberal–National government dudded Victoria royally on our fair share of infrastructure projects. I will consistently remind any government in Canberra that Victorians are federal taxpayers too and that we deserve our fair share of infrastructure funding, and that has certainly been the consistent message I have delivered to the federal Labor government. But at least we have a federal government that knows where Victoria is on a map and is supporting projects in this city and state.