We have seen this all day from the opposition, Mr Speaker. They have saved their worst for last today. They’ve saved their worst for last.
Here, as a government, Mr Speaker, we have come together and we have been thanking Australians for their tremendous efforts this year and we continue to do that in this place, and I want to thank all those who are out there, Mr Speaker, spending the more than $100bn of infrastructure that this government has committed to over the next 10 years, Mr Speaker.
Projects like the Western Sydney International Airport, in particular.
Mr Speaker, this project is going to change not just New South Wales and Sydney, Mr Speaker, but it is going to change the entire nation. When we came to government, Mr Speaker, in 2013 I had sat on the opposition benches for six years, and over those six years I heard the leader of the opposition go on and on, and on, and on about Western Sydney International Airport. He didn’t turn a sod, Mr Speaker. He didn’t even get up a sign, Mr Speaker.
The leader of the opposition, when it comes to the Western Sydney International airport … Mr Speaker, he didn’t do anything despite the pleas, Mr Speaker, of those in his electorate and despite everything he said, he needed to do, on Western Sydney International Airport.
He was transport minister for six years, Mr Speaker, he couldn’t get a runway, he couldn’t get lift-off, Mr Speaker, he couldn’t even get himself out there to actually make the project happen
So, Mr Speaker, I’m not going to take a lecture from the Labor party when this government has been delivering the jobs on the ground that 1.5m jobs that were created before we came into the Covid-19 recession, saving 700,000 jobs, 700,000 jobs, through the economic supports we put in place during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Australian people know because they have seen this government get on with the job. They’ve seen us deliver on the ground, Mr Speaker. And this desperate leader of the opposition can crow and carry on all he likes, Mr Speaker, but the Australian people have worked him out and those behind him, Mr Speaker, have worked him out.
