Federal Budget

Ms DIANE BEAMER: My question is addressed to the Premier. Will the Premier advise the House how the Federal budget will add to the efforts by the New South Wales Government to improve services and build better infrastructure?

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: The Government welcomed last night's Federal budget, with its focus on fiscal discipline and infrastructure investment. It is a responsible budget that aims to deliver for hardworking families, while at the same time allocating some $40 billion in surpluses for investment in health, education and infrastructure across the nation. It is a commitment to investment in key services and economic infrastructure and it represents a solid down payment on our future. The budget also represents a dramatic shift from the previous Federal Government. What a contrast! The previous Federal Government said, "We do not have a role in building the nation. We do not have a role in funding infrastructure. We do not have a role in tackling urban congestion. We do not have a role in tackling the big infrastructure bottlenecks across the nation." Contrast that to last night's budget—the first budget of Mr Rudd and Mr Swan—$22,000 billion—

Mr Andrew Stoner: You should be grateful. They're bailing you out.

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: What was the last piece of infrastructure your Federal friends built? The Burdekin Dam was the last one. That was it—after 11 years of record surpluses and riding the waves of prosperity built during the Hawke-Keating years. After 11 years can members think of another one? Not one?

[Interruption]

We did some research and, yes, it was the Burdekin Dam.

The SPEAKER: Order! Members will cease interjecting.

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: The Federal budget allocated $22 billion in the future infrastructure fund, $10 billion in health and $10 billion in education. That is a clear signal from the Commonwealth Government that it is getting back into the business of building the infrastructure of the nation, and doing so in cooperation with the States. There is no shortage of projects for New South Wales to submit to the Commonwealth.

The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Epping to order. I call the member for Terrigal to order.

Mr Thomas George: To do the things that you did not do, Morris.

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: I am sure the member for Lismore will be with me at the end of this month when we open the Richmond Clinic at Lismore Hospital.

Mr Thomas George: Will it be finished?

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: A great piece of mental health infrastructure has been built without Commonwealth assistance.

[Interruption]

We had to bring that one forward without any help from Tony Abbott.

Mr Thomas George: It should have been finished 12 months ago.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Lismore will cease interjecting.

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: Following an invitation from the Commonwealth Government to participate with it in two feasibility studies, the New South Wales Government will contribute $25 million to two projects: the M5 East duplication and a Euro-style metro from Parramatta to the city.

Mr Brad Hazzard: What about the F3 extension?

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: There is plenty more to come.

Mr Alan Ashton: Stay tuned!

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: As the member for East Hills just said, stay tuned—there is plenty more to come. The $22 billion is a down payment. What we have in Canberra is a government that believes in investing surpluses into the future prosperity of the nation and not just bringing down a budget surplus for the sake of a budget surplus. It acknowledges that health, education and economic infrastructure are the keys to our future prosperity and a sustained improvement in services for hard-working families. That is why we are going to partner with the Rudd Government in the feasibility studies for the M5 East and for the Parramatta metro. There will be no shortage of additional infrastructure projects coming from New South Wales to submit to the Commonwealth for that future infrastructure fund to build the nation's prosperity.