Mr MARTIN FERGUSON (2:23 PM) —My question is to the Minister for Transport and Regional Services. Minister, isn't it a fact that the government is spending more than $360 million to sell its GST? Couldn't that money have paid for an upgrade of a 90-kilometre stretch of single carriage highway to dual carriageway, making our roads better and safer? Why won't you spend this $360 million on our roads rather than on a GST PR campaign?

Mr ANDERSON (Deputy Prime Minister) —I thank the honourable member for his question. The first point that I would make is that his claim in relation to the amount of money that we are spending on the introduction of a GST is highly misleading. As usual, these things should not be taken untested. The next point I would make is that the Commonwealth is engaged in a very significant program of infrastructure works on the national highway grid and so forth across Australia. In relation to infrastructure expenditure, perhaps I could pose a question to the member for Batman: why is it that his colleagues in New South Wales will not move on the $125 million that we have on the table to put a dedicated freight line through Sydney? It is sitting there, waiting for them to get on with the job so that we can spend the money. But the third thing I would ask is: if they are so committed to transport reform in this country, why will they not get behind the massive reductions in taxation that we are introducing for transport on 1 July?