Senator McKIERNAN —I actually have two questions for the Minister for Transport and Communications, but I can ask only one of them. Can the minister provide details of the work involved and the funding required for the proposed completion of the survey in regard to Alice Springs to Darwin railway proposal?

Senator COLLINS —I am glad to be able to finish question time today on a positive note. The proposed Alice Springs to Darwin railway stretches across a distance of about 1,400 kilometres. Of that distance, about 1,100 kilometres has so far been surveyed. I acknowledge that this is a matter that has been raised in this chamber by Senator Chapman and in which the people of South Australia have a keen interest. Three hundred and seventy-five kilometres of this route remain to be surveyed. This part of the line is in four sections: between Murranji and Buchanan, from Western Creek to Katherine, from Burrundie to Adelaide River and between Livingston and Darwin.

  The funding allocation in the budget will complete the survey of the rail link and it fulfils an important election commitment that was made by the Prime Minister, particularly to the constituents of the Northern Territory and South Australia. An amount of $3 million will be provided over the next two years for this work in line with this commitment, and the survey work will go to tender. The completed survey will help future proposals on the commercial viability of the rail link to be more accurately appraised. The federal government is prepared to consider providing further assistance with the future development of the project if a substantial private investor or developer expresses some real interest in it. I note in passing that this is precisely the same position that was adopted during the election campaign on this issue by the shadow cabinet.

  Honourable senators would be aware that a number of taxation incentives have been provided by the government for the private sector construction of large infrastructure projects such as the Alice Springs to Darwin rail link and those were introduced in the One Nation package. I am pleased to see that the budget decision to fund the survey has been welcomed by the Northern Territory government, by business and union leaders. Those close to the debate would recall that the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, Marshall Perron, claimed in the last week of the campaign that the re-election of the Federal Labor government would have meant all chances of developing—

Senator Kemp —Did you fix him up, Bob?

Senator COLLINS —Fortunately, Marshall Perron happens to be still in office. He has not actually strangled any journalists lately, so he is still there. The budget announcement, unfortunately, has been met with silence from those opposite. This is perhaps not surprising given that the opposition shadow minister, John Sharp, said on ABC radio in Darwin only a couple of weeks ago that the opposition had `proof' that the Labor government would renege on its promise to fund the survey. He has maintained his unbroken record in that sense of getting it wrong.

Senator Gareth Evans —Mr President, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.

Senator Boswell —Mr President, I was standing.

The PRESIDENT —Order! Question time had gone over by more than a minute.