Share This

Media Releases

Tuesday, 24th June 2014

Labor Thwarts Abbott's Infrastructure Attack

Labor has thwarted Tony Abbott’s attack on the independence of Infrastructure Australia, with the Senate passing 29 amendments to wind back his plans to muzzle the organisation.


Labor created IA in 2008 to work with states to rank competing proposals for new roads, railways and other infrastructure according to their ability to contribute to national productivity growth.
IA was required to publish its research, allowing taxpayers to compare the evidence-based advice tendered to government with actual decisions. This provision was designed to discourage pork-barrelling.
However, after taking office Mr Abbott proposed empowering his Government to dictate IA’s research agenda, including ordering it to exclude “certain classes’’ of infrastructure, like public transport, from its considerations.
While the Government gagged debate on the Bill in the House of Representatives in November, last night the Senate agreed to 29 amendments, including changes that would prevent the Government from meddling in IA’s business or preventing the publication of its research.
The amendments would require IA to continue to consider the effects of climate change in its assessments of infrastructure proposals – a function the Government had proposed to eliminate.
These changes will preserve IA’s independence and reduce the opportunities for the Coalition to waste scarce public dollars on the pork-barrelling that blighted the Howard era.
Business groups including the Business Council of Australia had expressed concern at a range of the changes proposed in the Government’s original flawed legislation.
During last year’s election campaign, the Coalition promised that it would maintain IA’s independence.
Labor‘s amendments were aimed at holding Mr Abbott to his election promises.
 
 
About Anthony
Media Centre
Grayndler NewsTranscriptsSpeechesOpinion Pieces

Electorate Office

334a Marrickville Rd
Marrickville NSW 2204

Phone: 02 9564 3588

Parliament House Office

Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

Phone: 02 6277 7700

DisclaimerPrivacyTerms

Electorate Office

334a Marrickville Rd
Marrickville NSW 2204

Phone: 02 9564 3588

Parliament House Office

Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

Phone: 02 6277 7700

Phone: (02) 9564 3588
Fax: (02) 9564 1734
Email: A.Albanese.MP@aph.gov.au

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which our offices stand and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge the sorrow of the Stolen Generations and the impacts of colonisation on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We also recognise the resilience, strength and pride of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Authorised by Anthony Albanese. 334a Marrickville Rd, Marrickville NSW 2204.

Sign up to hear directly from the Prime Minister

Loading...