A Shorten Labor Government will work with the Queensland Labor Government to fast-track construction on Bruce Highway projects which have been delayed by the Turnbull Liberal Government’s cuts to infrastructure funding.

Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Anthony Albanese, joined Labor candidates, Bill Gissane and Scott Anderson, today to inspect the site of the upgrade between Caloundra Road and Sunshine Motorway, funded by the former Labor Government in the 2013 Budget as part of our Ten Year Plan for a Better, Safer Bruce Highway.

Upon completion, the 7km upgrade will deliver critical safety benefits to road users, improve efficiency, reduce traffic congestion and ensure the highway can cater for future traffic growth.

In this month’s Budget, the Liberals cut $118 million from Bruce Highway projects for 2016-17 compared to what was promised in last year’s Budget.

Less funding means fewer jobs and more congestion. It’s that simple.

Local Liberal Government members must explain why they voted for these cuts in Parliament just weeks ago while their communities spend more time stuck in traffic and less time at home with their families.

Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show that under the Liberals, public sector infrastructure investment fell by 20 per cent between the September quarter of 2013 and the September quarter of 2015.

In contrast, during its six years in office, Labor invested $5.7 billion in the Bruce Highway, dwarfing the $1.3 billion spent by the Howard Government over nearly 12 years.

Moreover, the former Federal Labor Government nearly tripled annual infrastructure spending from $109 to $301 per Queenslander.

People living on the Sunshine Coast deserve representatives in Parliament who will fight for their interests, not take them for granted.