The Perth Freight Link will go ahead, despite Opposition Leader Bill Shorten saying he'll axe commonwealth cash committed to the project if he wins the election, WA Premier Colin Barnett says.
The federal government has pledged to pay $1.2 billion of the $1.9 billion toll road, which aims to provide a direct truck route to Fremantle Port.
Mr Shorten believes the controversial project should be shelved in favour of building a new harbour at Kwinana, given Fremantle port will reach capacity in coming years.
"If Bill Shorten becomes prime minister, he can withdraw the federal funding but he can't change the project," Mr Barnett said on Tuesday.
"It would mean that the state government would have to pay a bigger share of it."
Mr Shorten has instead promised to provide $1 billion in federal funds for WA Labor's Metronet rail plan, saying building public transport is a better longer term proposition than the freight link.
Before jetting to Melbourne, Mr Shorten visited the newly created electorate of Burt, where he announced a Labor government would introduce legislation to parliament to enshrine public ownership of Medicare within its first 100 days.
Mr Shorten also flagged a commitment of $45 million to reduce congestion along Perth's northwestern corridor by undertaking two grade separation projects on Wanneroo Road in the marginal Liberal seat of Cowan.
Infrastructure Australia predicts the road could become Perth's most traffic-clogged route by 2031 if it is not upgraded.
Member for Cowan Luke Simpkins said a re-elected Liberal government would spend $20 million upgrading the intersection of Wanneroo and Ocean Reef roads, which he visited with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull last week.
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