Greater Adelaide Freight Bypass

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley—Leader of the Opposition) (14:24): My question is to the Premier. Will the state government fund the Greater Adelaide Freight Bypass on a fifty-fifty funding split with the federal Labor government? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: When the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport was asked on ABC radio last week whether the funding for the Greater Adelaide Freight Bypass would be a fifty-fifty split with the federal Labor government, the minister said, 'No.'

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:24): Let me get this straight: first he complains about the commonwealth budget and its timing and now he wants us to pay more. This is genius. It really is a unique tactic by the opposition: Gupta rings up, give him $50 million; the commonwealth government comes up and says, 'Here's $500 million,' match it, don't say 80:20, make sure it's fifty-fifty. Why would we pay fifty-fifty on a national freight network? Why wouldn't we pay 80:20? And why aren't members opposite backing us on an 80:20 funding split? Why aren't you?

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Tax and spend Liberals. They haven't found a commonwealth dollar they don't want to give back: 'Take it back. No, no, it's too much, take it back.' Of course, we have our own budget processes. We will not meet the timeframes of the Leader of the Opposition, we will meet the timeframes of the parliament. We have a budget. We have our own processes.

We are grateful that the commonwealth government have put up half a billion dollars to get freight out of our city and through a bypass, and we will make our decisions about how we fund that, how we deliver that and how we build that. If the opposition want to come out and make a fifty-fifty funding split, make it public. Stand up now and say that you will pay fifty-fifty. Silence!

The irony of any member who is in the Adelaide Hills who would ever argue about taking freight off the South Eastern Freeway, here it is. When the deputy leader held the functions and powers of the role of Attorney-General, he was actively supporting an infrastructure program to upgrade Fullarton Road and Cross Road, Portrush Road and Magill Road to get more freight down the South Eastern Freeway and onto two of those roads to get it to the Port of Adelaide.

Why wouldn't you be arguing in the cabinet—even when you only hold the functions and powers of a portfolio—to get that money and move that freight out of your community and onto a bypass? Member for Light, what was it called?

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: GlobeLink. Imagine getting elected on a platform of GlobeLink, then abandoning it within six months and then finally getting into the cabinet and arguing that there should be more freight down the South Eastern Freeway and more freight onto Portrush Road and Cross Road, so much so that you put up business cases to the commonwealth government to get more freight through by moving the Waite Gatehouse.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: He is just plucking words out of the air and just yelling them. He is just plucking words out and just saying them. He is in the wrong house. You're in the wrong house, mate. Just plucking words out and just saying them, there's a word for that. Your colleagues are looking. I saw your preselection. You did very well. You got what, 10 votes? Ten? That was impressive. After that long in parliament, the most you could get were how many members in your branch? Excellent work.

We will make our own decisions about how we fund infrastructure. We welcome the commonwealth government's investment. We have our own budget processes and we expect to follow them.