Infrastructure and Transport
Infrastructure and Transport
Mr HUTCHINSON (Lyons) (14:45): My question is
to the Assistant Minister for Infrastructure. I remind
him of the government's commitment to upgrade
Tasmania's major road and freight transport route, the
Midland Highway that runs the length of my electorate
of Lyons. Will the minister update the House on the
progress he is making to make this transport route safer
and encourage growth of freight exports?
Mr BRIGGS (Mayo—Assistant Minister for
Infrastructure and Regional Development) (14:46):
Thank you to the member for Lyons for his question.
How good it is to have a Liberal back in this House
from Tasmania—and not just one, but three. Last week
it was terrific to spend a day with the member for
Lyons travelling down the Midland Highway. We saw
how important it was for Tasmania that this road be
upgraded. I can say to the member for Lyons that it is
part of the Prime Minister's task to be the infrastructure
Prime Minister and we will be upgrading the Midland
Highway with $400 million. I am surprised that the one
remaining Labor House of Representatives member in
this place is opposed to that upgrade, and maybe that
is why the people of Tasmania swung so heavily to
the coalition in September. We all know that Tasmania
is going through economic difficulty and we all know
that is being caused by 16 years of bad Labor-Green
administration. Hopefully, in March next year the
people of Tasmania will change the composition of
the Tasmanian parliament, because that state needs
the investment; it needs the job creation; it needs to
be part of the Roads of the 21st Century, which we
will deliver under the stewardship of the infrastructure
Prime Minister
