Senator FERRIS —My question is to the Leader of the Government in the Senate, and it relates to yesterday's exciting announcement of the $9 billion high-speed rail link between Melbourne and Darwin. Can the minister outline—

Opposition senators interjecting—

The PRESIDENT —Order! Just a moment, Senator Ferris, I cannot hear you. Order!

Senator FERRIS —I will begin my question again so that the minister can hear it. It relates to yesterday's exciting announcement of the $9 billion high-speed rail link between Melbourne and Darwin. Will the minister outline the potential benefits of this project to regional Australia? What is his response to claims that this project will endanger the viability of the Adelaide-Darwin rail link, a project to which the Howard government has already committed $100 million?

Opposition senators interjecting—

The PRESIDENT —Order! Just a moment, Senator. There are far too many interjections.

Senator HILL (Environment) —This is an important question, and it gives me the opportunity to contrast the record of the former Labor government with that of the Howard government in relation to rail infrastructure. Everyone remembers the pitiful state in which the Labor government left Australian railways: 7,000 jobs lost in 13 years, the closure of South Australia's interstate passenger services, the closure of dozens of rail lines and broken promises to hundreds of railway workers. That is what Australians remember of Labor. It was a dismissal situation with very little hope for the future. Come the coalition government, and we inject some $2 billion to revitalise Australia's railway system.

The Alice Springs to Darwin railway is well on track for the first time. Remember what Mr Hawke said 15 years ago. He said:

I promise that only the Labor government can be trusted to build the Alice Springs-Darwin railway.

They had 13 years in office and delivered nothing. What happened now is that the Howard government has committed $100 million of public money, complemented by two other coalition governments putting in a further $200 million and all of a sudden there is the prospect of viability. An announcement is expected about the end of October.

Opposition senators interjecting—

Senator HILL —They laugh at this. Because they failed, they have to laugh at this government's achievements. An announcement is expected about the end of October. The potential is there: 2,000 jobs for South Australians during the construction phase, hundreds of millions of dollars being invested; a new avenue for the export of South Australia's resources; and national infrastructure is being developed.

Opposition senators interjecting—

The PRESIDENT —Order! Senators on my left are making far too much noise.

Senator HILL —We are delivering where the Labor government failed to deliver. Yesterday's announcement is another example of that: a $9 billion rail link between Melbourne and Darwin and potential for further national infrastructure development—something that all reasonable Australians will be pleased about. But, of course, Senator Bolkus and Senator Schacht thought they could win a cheap political point by saying that it undermined the South Australian project. One hundred million dollars is being put in by the Howard government.

Opposition senators interjecting—

The PRESIDENT —Order! There is far too much noise on my left. It is almost impossible for me to hear Senator Hill when I am only a short distance from him.

Senator HILL —One hundred million dollars has been put in by the Howard government for the Alice Springs-Darwin line. No public money is being put into the eastern states one, and yet Senator Bolkus said that in some way the government is favouring the eastern states. It is hard to develop any credible argument from that perspective.

Senator Schacht interjecting—

The PRESIDENT —Senator Schacht; cease shouting.

Senator HILL —To see the private sector for the first time coming up with major national railway infrastructure projects is something that is exciting and not to be knocked. It is giving great hope to this country, finally, after the dismal years of Labor, to see that the rail system is starting to come on track.

There were further good announcements yesterday. Labor would have missed them, of course, because they are not interested in these things. There was also the announcement that the Great Southern Railways—the private owners of the interstate passenger service—announced the extension of the Ghan service from Alice Springs to Melbourne. This is more jobs. Finally, after 13 years of Labor we have a government that is ensuring that we have a modern, national railway infrastructure, and that is great news for Australia.

(Time expired)

Senator FERRIS —Madam President, I ask a supplementary question. Would the minister please give some examples of significant infrastructure projects which are now benefiting all South Australians as a result of the Howard government's policies?

Senator HILL (Environment) —That is a fair question, too, because this government has invested an enormous amount of public money in the economy of South Australia and we are actually proud of that. We think it is important. It gets knocked by Senator Bolkus and Senator Schacht, but we think it is important:

$138 million of federal money for the construction of the Mount Barker freeway only a few months ago; 1,500 jobs for the benefit of South Australia; $48 million for the Adelaide airport runway project; and $22 million from the Natural Heritage Trust to South Australia to do something for rural and regional South Australia.

Add that to $100 million for the Alice Springs to Darwin railway and you will realise that this government—the coalition government; the Howard government—is investing more money in the capital infrastructure of South Australia than ever before. What a contrast to the dismal record of Labor. At least we are establishing this vitally important nation infrastructure. (Time expired)