Opened the debate
Spender moved the second reading, arguing that the bill addresses a lack of value for money in government infrastructure spending. Spender highlighted that building costs had risen by 30 per cent since the pandemic, contributing to $32 billion in cost pressures within a $120 billion pipeline. Spender stated that the bill would mandate a 10-year land transport strategy, require public disclosure of business cases, and enforce parliamentary reporting on material cost changes. Spender also noted that the Halton review identified 80 projects that should not proceed, yet the government had not disclosed which ones were cancelled. Spender challenged both major parties to support the measures, which she described as basic business discipline.