❓ Question regarding the McGowan government's $4.2 billion investment in regional road infrastructure, specifically seeking details on job creation and addressing potential misinformation. The Minister's answer details project locations and employment outcomes, while also attacking the opposition's record.
AnsweredQoN 375Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
REGIONAL ROAD
INFRASTRUCTURE
375. Mr D.T. PUNCH to the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's $4.2 billion investment in job-creating road
infrastructure, including record funding for regional roads. Can the minister
outline to the house how this investment will deliver 25 major job-creating
road projects, including work on widening Bussell Highway, and can she advise
the house whether she is aware of anyone who is misleading the community about
this government's investment in roads?
The SPEAKER : Minister.
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Scarborough, I call you to order for the first time.
INFRASTRUCTURE
375. Mr D.T. PUNCH to the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's $4.2 billion investment in job-creating road
infrastructure, including record funding for regional roads. Can the minister
outline to the house how this investment will deliver 25 major job-creating
road projects, including work on widening Bussell Highway, and can she advise
the house whether she is aware of anyone who is misleading the community about
this government's investment in roads?
The SPEAKER : Minister.
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Scarborough, I call you to order for the first time.
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Bunbury for
the incredible question and for his commitment to local jobs, local businesses
and road improvements throughout the south west. We have a record spending of
$4.2 billion on road infrastructure around the state. Members in the area of
Bunbury have taken much interest in the funding of the Bunbury Outer Ring Road.
As part of that, we have been able to identify $4 million for preloading works
on Bussell Highway widening, member for Vasse. That is something that the
member for Vasse welcomed and about which she made some positive comments, so I thank her. Member for Pilbara, around the
state we have the Karratha–Tom Price Road . Mr Speaker, we have
the Albany ring-road and South Coast Highway —
The SPEAKER : Fantastic!
Ms
R. SAFFIOTI : — and we
have projects on Great Northern Highway. The important point is that these
projects are employing local people and local businesses and, in the north
particularly, the Kimberley and Pilbara projects have involved a big uptake by
Aboriginal people. We have seen up to 40 to 50 per cent local Aboriginal
employment on those projects. I would like to continue to roll that out
across the state, because I think that is really important.
Across the metropolitan area, there
has been investment in the northern suburbs, in the southern corridor and the
eastern corridor, and the Tonkin Highway improvements. Remember—when
the now member for Darling Range was the member for eight and a half years,
there was not one cent for the Tonkin Highway extension.
Several members interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Not one cent
did she deliver to those projects.
Mr I.C. Blayney interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Geraldton!
Ms
R. SAFFIOTI : We have been able to
get on and do that work. I remember that before the Darling Range by- election,
the member said, ''The project is all ready, because we got it ready.''
The former government did nothing on those projects—nothing!
The point I want to make today is
that yesterday, the member for Hillarys said that page 143 of the federal
budget papers —
Mr P.A. Katsambanis interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Hillarys!
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : He said that
the project is there. I said, ''Where are those words 'Hodges to
Hepburn'?''
Mr P.A. Katsambanis : They are
right there, under congestion.
The SPEAKER : Order!
Mr B.S. Wyatt interjected.
The SPEAKER : Treasurer, I call
you to order for the first time. I was on my feet. Now that we have found you,
I know where you are.
Ms
R. SAFFIOTI : He said there was
money specifically for that project. Page 143, he said. It is not there. We
know that Christian Porter has been making it up on this project. He said the
money was there—$50 million. He then said, ''No. It is not the
$50 million. There is another $40 million''—which no-one else
can see—''for this project.'' He is now out there,
claiming whatever. We know his form. He nearly bankrupted this state. Just to
show members how misleading the Liberal Party has been on this project, I have
here two advertisements about this project. They are about the Mitchell Freeway
widening from Hodges Drive to Hepburn Avenue. The first says that the Liberal
Party ''delivered'' it. I do not know. Members in the
northern suburbs, has it been delivered by the Liberal Party?
Several members interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : I cannot see
it. In the other one, they changed it to ''delivering''. How
about this one? Maybe the new ad for that project should be, ''Oops � we
forgot to put it in the budget � signed Christian Porter and the Liberal Party''.
the incredible question and for his commitment to local jobs, local businesses
and road improvements throughout the south west. We have a record spending of
$4.2 billion on road infrastructure around the state. Members in the area of
Bunbury have taken much interest in the funding of the Bunbury Outer Ring Road.
As part of that, we have been able to identify $4 million for preloading works
on Bussell Highway widening, member for Vasse. That is something that the
member for Vasse welcomed and about which she made some positive comments, so I thank her. Member for Pilbara, around the
state we have the Karratha–Tom Price Road . Mr Speaker, we have
the Albany ring-road and South Coast Highway —
The SPEAKER : Fantastic!
Ms
R. SAFFIOTI : — and we
have projects on Great Northern Highway. The important point is that these
projects are employing local people and local businesses and, in the north
particularly, the Kimberley and Pilbara projects have involved a big uptake by
Aboriginal people. We have seen up to 40 to 50 per cent local Aboriginal
employment on those projects. I would like to continue to roll that out
across the state, because I think that is really important.
Across the metropolitan area, there
has been investment in the northern suburbs, in the southern corridor and the
eastern corridor, and the Tonkin Highway improvements. Remember—when
the now member for Darling Range was the member for eight and a half years,
there was not one cent for the Tonkin Highway extension.
Several members interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Not one cent
did she deliver to those projects.
Mr I.C. Blayney interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Geraldton!
Ms
R. SAFFIOTI : We have been able to
get on and do that work. I remember that before the Darling Range by- election,
the member said, ''The project is all ready, because we got it ready.''
The former government did nothing on those projects—nothing!
The point I want to make today is
that yesterday, the member for Hillarys said that page 143 of the federal
budget papers —
Mr P.A. Katsambanis interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Hillarys!
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : He said that
the project is there. I said, ''Where are those words 'Hodges to
Hepburn'?''
Mr P.A. Katsambanis : They are
right there, under congestion.
The SPEAKER : Order!
Mr B.S. Wyatt interjected.
The SPEAKER : Treasurer, I call
you to order for the first time. I was on my feet. Now that we have found you,
I know where you are.
Ms
R. SAFFIOTI : He said there was
money specifically for that project. Page 143, he said. It is not there. We
know that Christian Porter has been making it up on this project. He said the
money was there—$50 million. He then said, ''No. It is not the
$50 million. There is another $40 million''—which no-one else
can see—''for this project.'' He is now out there,
claiming whatever. We know his form. He nearly bankrupted this state. Just to
show members how misleading the Liberal Party has been on this project, I have
here two advertisements about this project. They are about the Mitchell Freeway
widening from Hodges Drive to Hepburn Avenue. The first says that the Liberal
Party ''delivered'' it. I do not know. Members in the
northern suburbs, has it been delivered by the Liberal Party?
Several members interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : I cannot see
it. In the other one, they changed it to ''delivering''. How
about this one? Maybe the new ad for that project should be, ''Oops � we
forgot to put it in the budget � signed Christian Porter and the Liberal Party''.
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