Australia's Deputy Leader to Drive Infrastructure Push in Government Shuffle
19 Dicembre 2017 - 6:17AM
Dow Jones News
By Rob Taylor
CANBERRA, Australia--Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has tapped
his deputy to drive a more than 70-billion-Australian-dollar (US$54
billion) infrastructure program in a refresh of his government
ahead of a year that threatens more instability around his
leadership.
Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, who has frequently railed
against foreign investment, was appointed infrastructure minister
on Tuesday in a change forced on Mr. Turnbull by a court ruling
barring dual-nationality lawmakers.
"We have a lot of work to do," said Mr. Turnbull, whose
conservatives have trailed opponents for more than a year in major
opinion surveys. "We're committed to delivering for all Australians
more and better-paying jobs, more prosperity and more security.
That is our goal."
Mr. Joyce, who leads the junior Nationals party in Mr.
Turnbull's Liberal-Nationals coalition, takes control of an
infrastructure pipeline worth A$100 billion in public and private
projects that the government hopes will boost resource and
agricultural exports to major trade partners such as China, India
and Japan, as well as revive its own fortunes.
The shuffle focused heavily on eastern Queensland state, where
the government is threatened by right-wing and populist
challengers.
Major projects under way include a A$5.3 billion second airport
in Sydney and a proposed A$8.4 billion inland freight line
stretching from Melbourne to Brisbane. But as with U.S. President
Donald Trump's promise to spend up to US$1 trillion to rejuvenate
aging U.S. transport infrastructure, Australia's plans require
significant foreign investment and construction help.
Mr. Turnbull's government has identified as a priority road and
rail networks that have made Australia a booming building market,
drawing foreign infrastructure giants to the country. Those include
Bouygues SA (EN.FR) and Bechtel Group Inc. (BTL.XX) of France,
Spain's ACS Group, Ferrovial SA (FRRVY) and Acciona (ANA.MC), and
the U.S.'s General Electric Co. (GE), which makes trains.
Mr. Joyce was instrumental when Australia set up a register of
foreign farm investment and has been critical of agriculture deals
involving both U.S. and Chinese firms, some of which have been
blocked. Earlier this year he called for a former conservative
colleague to face questions over a port deal involving Chinese
interests, saying, "I will always back in my nation."
Mr. Joyce will play a crucial role in what is expected to be a
difficult year for Mr. Turnbull, who hopes to draw a line under 12
months in which his government has been roiled by leadership
instability and Labor opponents have maintained an election-tipping
53%-47% lead.
Last week, the prime minister regained a one-seat parliamentary
majority in a special election forced by the October court ruling
on citizenship, but he faces the prospect of more by-elections over
the coming months that, depending on their outcome, could deliver
more opposition seats and even threaten early general
elections.
Mr. Turnbull unveiled on Monday an improved midyear budget,
tackling debt and giving him space to consider cuts in the personal
income tax next year as he tries to move the political battle to
the government's economic strengths.
In other changes to an expanded Cabinet, Christian Porter
becomes Australia's attorney-general, replacing George Brandis as
the country's top law officer.
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton will lead a powerful new Home
Affairs Ministry to improve counterterrorism, drawing immigration,
border protection, law enforcement and domestic security agencies
into a single U.K.-style agency.
Write to Rob Taylor at rob.taylor@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
December 19, 2017 00:02 ET (05:02 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2017 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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