Infrastructure Minister Warren Truss has today once again tried to take credit for Bruce Highway investments made by the former Labor Government.
Senator for Queensland Jan McLucas said Mr Truss has spent his week re-announcing investments already included in the Budget by the previous Labor Government or opening projects fully funded by Labor.
“Today he announced the opening of Stage One of the Cairns Southern Access Road and suggested the project was a prime example of his Government’s commitment to the Bruce Highway, despite the $150 million project very clearly being funded and delivered by Labor governments,” Senator McLucas said.
“Even local MP Warren Entsch got in on the act knowing that he had absolutely nothing to do with it, and in fact opposed it in favour of grand visions of second corridors across East Trinity with bridges across the inlet.”
Queensland Shadow Treasurer and Member for Mulgrave, Curtis Pitt said the LNP’s attempt to rewrite history about the new southern approach to Cairns was breathtaking.
“Queenslanders are accustomed to the Newman Government being loose with the facts and not giving credit where it is due, but it appears their federal counterparts are following their lead,” Mr Pitt said.
“The federal National Party Leader and Deputy Prime Minister, Warren Truss has given zero recognition to those who did all the hard work on this project – former federal and state Labor Governments.
“Tony Abbott is following Campbell Newman’s blueprint when it comes to scaring and misleading people on debt; selling assets; and slashing services and jobs while pushing up the cost of living, so I guess we should not be surprised that people like Warren Truss now also feel free to totally rewrite history.
“It would be good if he and others in the Abbott and Newman Governments told the truth,” Mr Pitt said.
Senator McLucas said during its six years in office, Federal Labor invested $5.7 billion in the Bruce Highway, dwarfing the $1.3 billion spent by the previous Howard Government over nearly 12 years.
“Labor delivered four times the funding in half the time,” Senator McLucas said.
“Mr Truss and Mr Entsch would be better telling the truth to the people of Cairns and coming clean about the lack of any funding for new Bruce Highway projects in Cairns until the 2020s.”
Media contacts:
Belinda Featherstone 0408 743 457 (McLucas)
Andrew Talbot 4056 3175 (Pitt)
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