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Wednesday, 9 May 2012
Page: 4305

Mr NEUMANN (Blair) (13:58): The shadow roads minister really does not have much of a clue when it comes to roads in Queensland. For example, the coalition has opposed the upgrade of the Ipswich Motorway for three federal elections in a row—and next week Minister Albanese and I, with the member for Oxley, will be opening the Dinmore to Goodna section of the Ipswich Motorway. But occasionally those opposite get it right. I see the member for Herbert is reported in the Townsville Bulletin of 5 March 2011 as saying with respect to the Bruce Highway:

I'll give Labor a pat on the back and say they have spent more in their four or five years on the Bruce Highway than we did before.

In fact, I think the shadow minister for roads, Mr Warren Truss, was there in the audience at the time. This is a guy that never seems to ask Minister Albanese any questions. Certainly in the nearly five years that I have been here, he has not asked him any questions in this particular chamber of parliament about the Ipswich Motorway—because the coalition would have put 10,000 jobs at risk on the Ipswich Motorway by their continuous opposition. Next week we officially open it—and those opposite should be ashamed of themselves for their failure to invest in the Ipswich Motorway.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Ms AE Burke ): Order! In accordance with standing order 43, the time for members’ statements has concluded.