Senator BILYK (Tasmania) (17:57): I also rise to speak on this matter of public importance about infrastructure. We all know that the Morrison government is in denial. The economy is weakening, but those opposite have just buried their heads in the sand. They repeat the mantra 'the fundamentals are strong' without understanding that, with lower wage growth and increased fear about security of employment, people are looking to spend less and pay down their debt. It is clear the Morrison government doesn't have a plan to rescue this failing economy. Today's matter of public importance calls on the government to make a positive economic decision, one which will create employment and improve productivity into the future by bringing forward infrastructure spending. The experts agree that this is the right course of action. The Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, Dr Philip Lowe, urged Treasurer Josh Frydenberg to spend on infrastructure, and he has made this call because he understands that we must not rely on monetary policy alone but utilise other mechanisms to get the economy back on track. But he's not alone. Just last week, the Masters Builders Australia supported this idea. Master Builders CEO Denita Wawn, speaking at Parliament House, called on the government to bring forward construction of infrastructure. It's clear the government has pushed future infrastructure further down the line with purely political motivations. Most of the money that the government has in its infrastructure budget is outside not just this election cycle but the election cycle after the next one. It's not credible to say you have a plan to build infrastructure when that plan is just to delay it for years and years to create an artificial surplus. On this side of the chamber, we understand the importance of modern, productive infrastructure to the Australian economy. Not only are jobs created during the construction of infrastructure; by having access to better roads, rail and port facilities, it makes it easier and cheaper for businesses to transport resources and manufactured goods both within Australia and to our export markets. Newer and safer roads will also help reduce our road toll currently—a tragedy that not enough action is being taken on to reduce. Opportunities in our economy arise from better infrastructure. Of course, in my home state of Tasmania, we've seen a failure in infrastructure planning and delivery by both the state and the federal governments, who have been in power since 2014 and 2013 respectively. In Tasmania, there are a number of major infrastructure projects that could be brought forward if the government could get their act together. I know they're good at taking the credit for opening buildings that the Labor Party funded anyway but they really need to get their act together. The Hobart-Sorell corridor is in need of upgrading. Traffic is often gridlocked along this corridor in the mornings and evenings, and it is causing unacceptable delays and frustration for the people of Sorell and for those further out on the Tasman Peninsula. It is in absolutely desperate need of an upgrade. Sections of the Bass Highway are also in need of improvement. The Bass Highway is critical to Tasmania's economy, carrying more than one million tonnes of freight each year worth about $1 billion. This includes trucks with farm produce, livestock and bulk milk that need to negotiate sections of the road which drastically need improvement. The federal and state governments have also failed with the planned replacement of the Bridgewater Bridge. In fact, that's just become embarrassing for both governments. Unfortunately, since Mr Turnbull and Mr Hodgman announced the replacement bridge project in 2018 it has dropped off Infrastructure Australia's priority projects list after the state government botched the business case for it. It was shoehorned into the Hobart City Deal and it's unclear when the new bridge will be delivered, if ever. These projects and many others across Tasmania would provide an immediate and enduring economic benefit to the local economy. Australia is experiencing the slowest economic growth since the global financial crisis. Wages are stagnant, underemployment is at record highs and the world economy is teetering. Good government investment in infrastructure to improve the lives of all Australians and to boost the economy, as Labor did in government, is drastically needed. During the global financial crisis, Labor invested in infrastructure, in saving jobs and in preventing the economy from going into recession. It's the responsible thing for this government to do but this government has failed. The Liberal-National government is in its third term and has failed dismally, especially for the people of Tasmania. The government needs to start taking infrastructure investment seriously, as I said, in Tasmania in the three key areas that I've outlined tonight. (Time expired)