The Hon. NATALIE WARD (20:23:42):

I move:

(1)That this House notes that:

(a)on 15 June 2023, the Minister for Roads, the Hon. John Graham, called the Rozelle Interchange "an incredible project";

(b)the Rozelle Interchange is the final part of WestConnex, a project planned and majority delivered by the former Liberal and Nationals Government;

(c)WestConnex will deliver countless hours of time savings for drivers and reduce surface traffic across Sydney;

(d)WestConnex was opposed by Labor; and

(e)on the 14 March 2023, the Minister for Transport, the Hon. Jo Haylen, MP, claimed to have never opposed WestConnex, which was later declared false by the Australian Associated Press.

(2)That this House calls upon the Government to:

(a)publicly declare if it supports WestConnex;

(b)outline its vision for delivering public transport infrastructure including how it will pay for new infrastructure projects; and

(c)acknowledge that projects like WestConnex deliver value to the people of New South Wales.

I support the motion and call on the Government to back it in. The motion does two things. It acknowledges the hypocrisy of the Government and gives it an invitation to come clean once and for all. I have put on record on numerous occasions the hypocrisy of the Government. It said one thing before the election and a different thing happened afterwards. The Minister for Roads has taken credit for projects that the former Liberal and Nationals Government undertook, yet all he did in opposition was criticise them. The Minister for Transport either does not know her own record or does not think that it matters. Earlier this month we saw another exclusive from the Minister for Roads regarding Labor's new favourite project: WestConnex.

The Hon. Wes Fang:

Our project.

The Hon. Natalie Ward:

Our project. Even now I can clearly remember the grab. The Minister for Roads was wearing a hard hat, underground in a tunnel. While in the tunnel, he said, "Where are we?" The Minister for Roads, with enough make-up on to cover an embarrassing blush, touted the benefits of the project. He called it incredible, which is fair enough because it is an incredible project. WestConnex supported 10,000 jobs during construction. It shifted traffic and heavy vehicles to the underground motorways and returned local streets to local communities. It will allow motorists using WestConnex to avoid 52 sets of traffic lights. It will significantly reduce congestion at a number of bottlenecks, including on Victoria Road, which we have heard so much about, between Iron Cove Bridge and Anzac Bridge. It will improve the speed, reliability and safety of travel across the city. But herein lies the contradiction. Guess who does not love it? The head of his department and his boss, the Minister for Transport, does not love it.

The Hon. Chris Rath:

What did she say?

The Hon. Natalie Ward:

I am glad you asked. She opposed WestConnex for two terms in Opposition and then—shock, horror—a week before the election she said on 2GB that she "never opposed WestConnex", which the Australian Associated Press then declared false. It is one thing in the cut and thrust of a campaign to get a bit of detail mixed up here and there, but to blatantly lie to the people of New South Wales on live radio is something else. If the Minister was not lying when she said that she did not oppose it, then she does not know her own record.

I note the Minister for Transport's record on game-changing projects like WestConnex. She called it a plan to "rip a hole through the inner west". She said, "WestConnex fails when it comes to traffic congestion." Government members have a chance to come clean and answer a simple question. They can get around the Cabinet table, call the union bosses and organise a press conference, with the Minister for Roads on one side and the Minister for Transport on the other side. They can say once and for all whether they support WestConnex. They can also come clean and say what, if any, projects they intend to build in western Sydney. They can tell us what they are going to commit to.

The Hon. Wes Fang:

We built them all. We did their job.

The Hon. NATALIE WARD:

A lot has already been built, but they can commit to the few bits that are left. We ask them to acknowledge once and for all, clearly and unequivocally, that WestConnex is beneficial to Sydney residents. It is a fantastic project that we know has saved people time and effort, getting them home to their families faster, getting tradies across the network efficiently and improving safety across the network. I commend the motion to the House. I commend all members of both Houses to recognise this game-changing project.

I am pleased that Government members are taking credit for it and that they are cutting ribbons on the projects we fought hard for. Those projects ultimately benefit the people driving on our roads and gets them home. Fifty-two sets of traffic lights is not an insignificant contribution to making people's lives better in New South Wales. That is why I call on the Government to ensure that projects like WestConnex continue, acknowledge that those projects deliver value to the people of this State; and acknowledge that our vision for Infrastructure NSW is paying off. People love those roads. The Minister for Roads has travelled on them. They are incredible game‑changing projects. I commend the Minister for Roads for saying it is an incredible project. I commend the motion to the House.

The Hon. JOHN GRAHAM (Special Minister of State, Minister for Roads, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy, and Minister for Jobs and Tourism) (20:28:41):

This motion is one of the silliest I have seen.

The Hon. Mark Buttigieg:

That is a big call.

The Hon. JOHN GRAHAM:

I know that is a big call, but I make it regardless. I happily confess that they are incredible bits of engineering. I spelt out ahead of the election and I say now that they have also come at an incredible cost to the toll-paying taxpayers of New South Wales. That complexity is why we are seeking to engage the public in a dialogue. There is no sense in pretending that they are not incredible bits of engineering. Being underground at the Rozelle Interchange and seeing the engineering work that was constructed and led by government—along with the public sector— was quite incredible. It was done in a way that has not been done for many projects in any Australian jurisdiction in recent years.

These are incredible projects but they have an incredible toll bill. That is the legacy that New South Wales has been left with. We have different priorities. The shadow Minister knows that. We will shift the dial towards local roads, following the advice of Infrastructure NSW. I commend the transport Minister for her strong start early in the job. We are working closely together but we are not assisted by the cost overruns of the former Government. We have already highlighted a $1.4 billion blowout on one of the key roads. Opposition members may not think there is not plenty more work to do, but I found it quite confronting when we were briefed on the roads needs around the airport. As the Western Sydney Airport rises from the ground, it is going to be a huge challenge for the Government as it looks to how to fund those roads.

Government can be hard but we are enjoying the challenge at the moment, including the Rozelle Interchange. I encourage members to drive through it but be careful as you pay the tolls. They should keep an eye on that cost ticking up, as it does. We still do not know how much that total cost will be, but I guarantee the House and the public—we made some estimates—that motorists have signed up to tens of billions of dollars. The former Government never released that but we will release those figures. We will come clean with the public about exactly the cost of the bill.

The Hon. JACQUI MUNRO (20:31:48):

Mr President—

The Hon. Wes Fang:

Strap in!

The Hon. JACQUI MUNRO:

It will be a wild ride through the WestConnex! Actually, it is a smooth ride through the WestConnex. I use it regularly and I use it with the knowledge that Labor members opposed WestConnex every step of the way but now they want to claim credit for it. The scissor‑holding hands of the Minister must be well practised by now, cutting the ribbons of the projects that we started. Those projects took significant political will to commence. It was not just a flippant decision. It was hours of consultation, work with engineers, planning and environmental impact statements. It is the kind of work that goes into State‑changing projects. They are infrastructure projects that change the lives of people who use them. We know that they do not happen overnight. They happen over years because they are worth investing in.

On this side of the House we understand that when you are in government you have to invest in projects. You have to get a return on that investment and calculate what the best return on investment will be. That is why we are investing in game-changing projects, like WestConnex, that change people's lives. As the Hon. Natalie Ward said, the transport Minister said she never opposed WestConnex but the Australian Associated Press declared that false. The fact that we need to fact check our now Ministers means we will need to interrogate the comments they made about projects that we supported and delivered from the very beginning. We know that WestConnex saves drivers countless hours on the road. It supported 10,000 jobs during consultation, which is absolutely fantastic. It shifted through traffic and heavy vehicles to undergrounds motorways.

I worked for the City of Sydney Council during the WestConnex construction phase when the community was engaged so they could understand the benefits of the project and how it impacted them. Those residents were ably consulted with. They were given opportunities to give feedback on the plans and to understand how the construction sites would impact them. Now that WestConnex is built, they receive the benefit of not having heavy vehicles and traffic going through their local roads. It is significantly reducing congestion at a number of bottlenecks and improving the safety and reliability of movement of traffic across the city. Labor wants it both ways. It wants to claim credit for the former Government's work in the media yet it criticises how we delivered it. I look forward to seeing how members on that side of the House aim to get things done now that they are in government.

The Hon. CHRIS RATH (20:34:48):

The Hon. John Graham must be the luckiest roads Minister in the State's history because he will have the honour of cutting the ribbons for all the infrastructure that was planned and funded by the previous Government. He will get repetitive strain injury from all the ribbons he will cut in the next four years. He is the luckiest roads Minister in the history of New South Wales. The huge infrastructure pipeline delivered by the previous Government might last for the next few years because of what we did when we were in government but it will not last forever. If the Government does not have tolls, rules out asset recycling and abolishes the wages cap, it will never build any new infrastructure projects in Western Sydney again—it will not be able to afford infrastructure like WestConnex if it rules those things out.

Labor has a history of opposing and promising but never delivering major road projects. In Labor's last term it promised the M4 East—announced in 2002, 2004 and 2006—the M5 duplication and widening, the NorthConnex and the M6 Stage 1. Unsurprisingly, it never delivered any of these projects, but the former Coalition Government completed three of those projects and commenced the other. I remind members that to date the Government has already scrapped the Beaches Link and Blackheath to Little Hartley tunnel. It seems this Government has learned from the ghosts of Obeid and Tripodi and has either scrapped major projects or has not committed to or announced new major infrastructure projects. We know why the Government is scrapping major infrastructure projects. It got lucky on WestConnex because it was funded and delivered by us. We know that it will not deliver future infrastructure projects. It will not be able to afford to because it has capitulated to the trade union bosses.

This Government has not answered whether it will remain committed to fund the former Government's record infrastructure pipeline for New South Wales. My prediction is it will not. The Treasurer signalled in his economic statement last week a significant austerity budget and laid the groundwork to scrap further infrastructure projects. The first one on the chopping block is the Sydney Metro. Members opposite hate the Sydney Metro, just like they hated WestConnex but we delivered it. I thank god that WestConnex has not been chopped.

Ms CATE FAEHRMANN (20:37:57):

I oppose the motion moved by the Hon. Natalie Ward. While the Opposition it was in government it liked to boast about the fact that it got WestConnex off the ground and that it built WestConnex. I was on the inquiry into WestConnex and I heard multiple things about businesses, houses and communities that were completely upended and whose lives were ruined as a result of that motorway. Tellingly I also heard that within government there was a prioritisation of WestConnex and Transurban motorways to the expense of other options being considered. Multiple billions of dollars went towards Transurban and WestConnex at the expense of all other options. They are the failures and opportunity costs of the now Opposition, and possibly the current Government, because of the cosy relationship with Transurban and the obsession with tollways.

What we have seen as a result of that is so many people and so many families are unable to afford those tolls to drive around to get from one part of Sydney to another. When the Coalition was in government it was absolutely obsessed with building more and more toll roads at the expense of public transport and every other option, as did Labor before that. After 12 years in government, the new Opposition has a policy vacuum and a vision vacuum. Now in opposition, it is not really sure what to do on private members' business day. I certainly hope that we get some private members' motions. We do not want to just sit on the crossbench with the Labor Government—The Greens on the same side as the Government. Give us something that is worth supporting and we will support it.

Opposition members interjected.

[]

Give us some good policy based on merit and we will support it.

The PRESIDENT:

Order!

The Hon. John Graham:

Point of order—

The PRESIDENT:

Order! I remind the Hon. Wes Fang that he is on two calls to order. The Deputy Leader of the Government has taken a point of order.

The Hon. John Graham:

You have taken the words out of my mouth, Mr President. I was just going to remind you that you placed the Hon. Wes Fang on two calls to order earlier and draw your attention to Standing Order 197.

The PRESIDENT:

Honourable members must have heard the rumour that we will potentially adjourn after this motion, which is very exciting, so let's not drag it out. Ms Cate Faehrmann has the call.

Ms CATE FAEHRMANN:Time expired.

My time has expired, Mr President. The Greens do not support— []

The Hon. WES FANG (20:41:28):

Mr President—

The Hon. John Graham:

You are on two calls!

The Hon. WES FANG:

I thank the Deputy Leader of the Government for reminding me that I am on two calls to order. That is why I am standing up at the dispatch box to make a contribution to debate on this motion, as opposed to making it from the lounge. I lend my support to the Hon. Natalie Ward and the motion that the Coalition has moved in this House today, because we are the parties that build things. Here is the real truth about it: Not only did we build WestConnex but we built so many other transport links. We built the metro. We built NorthConnex. We had plans to build so many more things, and the Government has cut them all.

The Hon. Natalie Ward:

Western Sydney airport.

The Hon. WES FANG:

That is the truth of it. Not only did we do those things, which are amazing—and I note the former Minister acknowledges how wonderful the engineering feats and the delivery of those projects were—but we continue to support the communities out in western New South Wales through hospitals. I note that the health Minister is in the gallery. Welcome, Minister, to this place. I hope that he appreciates the genteel and kind nature with which we conduct debate in this House, as opposed to the rabble in the other place. The Minister would know how well we built hospitals, schools and infrastructure in this State, and we still did WestConnex. What have we seen from those opposite? Cut, cut, cut. The finance Minister is also in the Chamber. It is her razor gang that is cutting the projects that former Ministers the Hon. Natalie Ward and the Hon. Sam Farraway had planned for this State. The only cuts, cuts, cuts that they are doing are to infrastructure and to our ribbons: cut, cut, cut to the budget and to our ribbons. There is nothing that they are delivering.

Government members interjected.

[]

The Minister can make a contribution in a minute. She should be on a call to order at least.

The PRESIDENT:

The Hon. Wes Fang has the call.

The Hon. WES FANG:

In this House, we must acknowledge that WestConnex has been an absolute game changer for the people of Sydney. When The Greens try to criticise what was transformative and well‑delivered infrastructure, it belies the fact that they have no vision and have no plans for Sydney, only opposition. That is a real tragedy. It only goes to serve why they are on the crossbench and will never be a mainstream party. At the end of the day, governments need to deliver, and the Liberal-Nationals Government delivered.

The Hon. RACHEL MERTON (20:44:27):

I support the motion moved by my friend the Hon Natalie Ward, who obviously knows about and played an important role in delivering many of the incredible infrastructure projects that were delivered by the last Government. I acknowledge the passion and the importance of infrastructure when it comes to the discussion of such policies relating to the WestConnex. One of the key infrastructure projects of the Perrottet Government is the WestConnex. As the Hon. Natalie Ward mentioned, it is a wonderful piece of infrastructure that allows drivers to avoid 52 sets of traffic lights and reduces congestion across a wide range of bottlenecks, including Victoria Road between the Anzac and Iron Cove bridges.

When I came across this motion, I thought I would do a quick Google search of "Jo Haylen WestConnex"—Jo Haylen the transport Minister in the Minns Government. The evidence of her not supporting WestConnex is right there on her own website. From 7 November 2019, she reports, "I remain firmly opposed to all stages of the WestConnex project." Of course, as the benefits of WestConnex have become beyond doubt, Jo Haylen felt the need to claim she had supported this project that has dramatically improved outcomes for road users. That is families. That is workers. Labor played an each-way bet on the project, and no-one delivers infrastructure playing both sides. I look forward to the opening of the Rozelle Interchange and the Iron Cove Link. WestConnex is one of a plethora of infrastructure projects totalling $112 billion that was required after a lacklustre 16 years of Labor Government.

Time expired.

This motion asks a very important question: What is Labor's vision today, if any? Back when opposing WestConnex, Jo Haylen said investing in public transport was the answer. We did that too. The metro is a great example. It did not exist in 2011. Now around 70 kilometres of track has been laid and we had a plan for another 100 kilometres. The Liberal-Nationals promised a further four more metro routes to futureproof our transport network. This included a line from Bankstown to Glenfield via Liverpool and a line that would link the new Western Sydney airport to Westmead. That would be on top of the key M12 motorway that links the M7— []

The Hon. AILEEN MacDONALD (20:47:50):

I support the motion of my colleague the Hon. Natalie Ward, as I too am curious as to what the Government will deliver in its current term of government. The Government cannot have its cake and eat it too or bask in the glory of the previous Liberal-Nationals Government's transformative infrastructure program of delivery. Labor appears content to claim credit for infrastructure such as WestConnex, which, incidentally, saves hours of travel. I drove on it on Monday when I attended a Rotary changeover dinner. Talk about getting to my destination in a safe and timely manner! It has no congestion and, as has already been said, avoids 52 sets of lights, to name a few of the benefits. Yet it was opposed every step of the way by Labor. As a regional person who sometimes travelled to Sydney, I used to hate coming to Sydney. Ten years ago, what took me an hour to drive in Sydney, I could cover almost 100 kilometres in country New South Wales. Traffic delays, traffic lights—what do you call it when people are raging?

The Hon. Natalie Ward:

Road rage.

The Hon. AILEEN MacDONALD:

Road rage and all those kinds of things—I hated it. Now I do not mind because I can get in my car and get to my destination quick and easy. The only plans I see from the Government are plans to significantly reduce or cut infrastructure projects altogether. I challenge Labor to outline a transformative infrastructure vision of which New South Wales can be proud. It would be good for Labor to acknowledge game-changing projects such as WestConnex. The people of New South Wales need confirmation and affirmation that projects are planned by this Government and that they will not just ride on the Coalition's coat-tails and cut ribbons on projects started by us. Tell us your vision and acknowledge projects that deliver benefits to the people of New South Wales.

The Hon. TANIA MIHAILUK (20:52:12):

I am delighted to make a contribution. I might surprise the House because I am not going to support the motion. There are a couple of reasons why I will not support it. While I was listening, I was debating myself on whether I would make a contribution.

Interruption

[]

Well, I need to speak to someone intelligent. I thought, "Where do I sit on this?" I was listening to Liberals tell us how wonderful WestConnex is and how they enjoy going through it. I think the Hon. Jacqui Munro said it was such a smooth ride. On a couple of occasions I have actually gone into WestConnex, and you are right; it is a smooth ride—very empty. I have been there on my own. The reason I have been there on my own is because it is really costly. That is what the Opposition does not get. It is really costly. I am delighted to hear that the other side is going to conduct a proper review into the full cost of WestConnex, because we need to know whether it was value for money and why the punters from Western Sydney are, ultimately, paying for it. That is what happened.

I remember when I was first a member in the other place, I was part of the roads committee. One of the first things that the Liberals moved on that committee was a road-pricing agenda. They wanted an inquiry into road pricing. This huge agenda to toll the people of New South Wales started back in 2011. I sat in that committee and I remember how keen the Chair—the member for Strathfield, Charles Casuscelli—and the Liberals on that committee were on pushing this agenda of road pricing and tolling. That is what has happened here. The Coalition has become addicted to tolling. I cannot agree when I hear Opposition members talk about how wonderful it is to go through WestConnex when most people in Western Sydney are not going through it. That is the reality. I know people who do everything they can to avoid WestConnex because it costs too much. So before Opposition members boast about it and pat themselves on the back, they might want to look at the election result. They lost. It is time to stop patting themselves on the back and understand that they lost.

Opposition members interjected.

[]

The PRESIDENT:

Order!

The Hon. TANIA MIHAILUK:

They have to cope with this loss, step forward and be a real Opposition instead of patting themselves on the back for project after project. They do not understand that people did not say, "Thank you very much. We are voting for you." They said "No." Wake up! It is very frustrating. It is costly. The tolls are horrific."

The Hon. Rod Roberts:

You can redo your induction.

The Hon. TANIA MIHAILUK:Time expired.

I am sorry, the Hon. Rod Roberts, but our constituents—One Nation voters—do not want to pay those tolls. []

The Hon. MARK BUTTIGIEG (20:53:24):Time expired.

I congratulate the Hon. Chris Rath for his continuing intellectual integrity on neoliberalism, asset recycling and privatising everything in sight. The private sector always does things better—toll roads, thousands of dollars a year just to get from point A to point B, electricity prices through the roof because the public sector cannot do it better. It is really respectable, and I thank him! []

The Hon. NATALIE WARD (20:54:03):

In reply: I thank all honourable members for their contributions. The roads Minister, the Hon. John Graham, I will not say he has his L plates on. He certainly has his hard hat on. I look forward to our invitation to attend the opening of the Rozelle Interchange. I think it is a fantastic project. The cost blowouts are, of course, a result of not having a wages cap in place. An unfunded commitment to pay union mates is clearly the Government's choice. That is what governments have—choices. I thank the Hon. Jacqui Munro for her contribution. She is making a spectacular contribution to this place. The Hon. Chris Rath recognised that we now have to pay this Government's trade union mates. Shame on that. I acknowledge the contribution of Ms Cate Faehrmann. I say to the residents of the inner west that this project has provided them with a transformational area, because what used to be disused railyards in Rozelle—an empty area with long grass that nobody could access—will now be a big, green backyard for the inner west. It is a fantastic transformation of what was a dreadful area. I am pleased to see that.

Words cannot describe the Hon. Wes Fang's contribution. He is phenomenal, as always. I will not even go there. I will not invite his comments because we do not want him to get thrown out of the Chamber just yet. The Hon. Rachel Merton, who is also making a magnificent contribution, recognised the benefits of this project. As a country member, the Hon. Aileen MacDonald uses and benefits from this road, and she spoke to that. The Hon. Tania Mihailuk recognised that there is an associated cost. There is a cost to building infrastructure when there is an infrastructure pipeline of $116 billion. But the great thing is that under the Liberal‑Nationals Coalition people had a choice. They did not have to take WestConnex; they could sit at the 52 sets of traffic lights, as they did under Labor for 16 years. They can continue to do that if they like. They have a choice: They can sit at traffic lights, as they did under Labor, or they can choose to drive through and avoid those traffic lights, as enabled by the former Coalition Government. The people who make the latter choice are very happy.

The PRESIDENT:

Order! Deputy President Rod Roberts knows better than to interject.

The Hon. NATALIE WARD:

The people who choose to use those projects and roads save time so they can get home to their families faster at night. That is important. Tradies can get across the network efficiently. This is game changing for the people of Western Sydney. A saving of 40 minutes a day is huge. On that basis I commend the motion to the House. I thank all honourable members. We will stand by our record of game‑changing infrastructure, because under 16 years of Labor nothing was built. We are very proud to stand by our record. We are happy for those opposite to cut the ribbons and steal our homework because they are great projects for the people of New South Wales.

The PRESIDENT:

The question is that the motion be agreed to.

The House divided.

Ayes12

Noes22

Majority10

Motion negatived.

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