LABOR ALL TALK ON INFRASTRUCTURE

Tonight’s Budget-in-Reply has again shown Labor’s misunderstanding of how Budgets and infrastructure work.

Rather than detail major projects and investment streams Labor would create, the Opposition Leader’s speech was riddled with glib one-liners and an extraordinary lack of detail on infrastructure.

Labor continues to forget infrastructure spending requires agreements with State, Territory and Local Governments and payments are made from the Commonwealth only when milestones for construction are met.

Labor continues to forget projects require business cases and an independent umpire to assess whether the project proposal stacks up.

And Labor continues to forget there is on average $2 billion more investment in infrastructure each year, and more projects have been delivered, thanks to the Liberal and Nationals Government.

The Liberals and Nationals’ plan is good economic management, treats taxpayers’ money with the respect it deserves and includes a 10 year infrastructure investment pipeline which delivers the infrastructure Australians need.

Yet Labor’s plan apparently has all the rhetoric but none of the checks and balances.

By contrast the Liberal and Nationals Government invests taxpayers’ money in projects which bust congestion, build capacity and connects country communities.

We respect there is a role for other Governments to play – as well as the private sector – and markets and tenders are needed to ensure value for money.

Our infrastructure pipeline reflects that and actually builds it.

ENDS

Media Contact:

Dom Hopkinson – 0409 421 209

Shane Manning