❓ The Minister for Transport responds to a question about public transport prioritization and alternative plans, highlighting Metronet achievements and engaging in political commentary regarding the Liberal and National parties.
AnsweredQoN 343Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Public transport
343. Ms Colleen Egan to
the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to delivering quality infrastructure for all
Western Australians.
(1) Can the minister advise the house how
this government is prioritising public transport across our suburbs, including
any recent milestones achieved?
(2) Can the minister advise the house if
she is aware of any alternative plans for public transport services in WA?
343. Ms Colleen Egan to
the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to delivering quality infrastructure for all
Western Australians.
(1) Can the minister advise the house how
this government is prioritising public transport across our suburbs, including
any recent milestones achieved?
(2) Can the minister advise the house if
she is aware of any alternative plans for public transport services in WA?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I thank the member for that question.
Before I go to the response, on behalf of, I think, everyone, in the chamber,
good luck to the Socceroos in their opening match on Sunday. It is going to be
a ripper on Sunday. In particular, three Western Australians are playing for
the Socceroos—Alessandro Circati, Jacob Italiano and Cam Burgess, with great
relationships with the Inglewood United Football Club, Perth Soccer Club and
ECU Joondalup. Having three Socceroos with Western Australian backgrounds is
something we should all be proud of. Good luck to the Socceroos, in particular
against the United States.
Anyway, let us keep going on
Metronet and the expansion of our public transport system. As members know, we
have continued to invest in public transport across the suburbs. This week, we
celebrated the first anniversary of the Thornlie–Cockburn Link with the member
for Southern River. We went there and bought a cake and shared it with one of
the Transperth workers who was also celebrating her one-year anniversary of
commencing work in the Public Transport Authority. We got to meet a lot of the
people catching the trains. There were school students connecting to Perth
Modern School or Saint Norbert College, and going the other way back to come
Kelmscott Senior High School as well. Schoolkids, of course, travel for free
across the network. Workers are also joining our public transport system and
are very appreciative of the new rail line. In relation to weekly boardings,
currently there are over a thousand at Nicholson Road. We have seen significant
growth in the number of boardings. Of course, for the first time, we have
connected the two rail lines. Connecting the Armadale rail line with the Mandurah
rail line allows people to go east–west and connect to major hubs, whether it
be Cockburn or across to Cannington and surrounds. It is a very significant
milestone. Happy birthday to the Thornlie–Cockburn Link.
Of course, we have heard the
opposition, and the Nationals WA in particular, rubbish Metronet and say that
there are not enough people living in the suburbs for new rail line expansions.
I think the Leader of the Nationals WA said there are not enough people living
in Yanchep for the Yanchep rail station. Leader of the National Party, it is
time that we joined forces. We know that the Liberal Party, the Nationals'
dance partner, is off somewhere else. If we were to look at the Liberal Party's
Facebook status, we would see that it has gone from "In a
relationship" to "It's complicated". The National Party chose a
dance partner and that dance partner has gone elsewhere. I will give the
National Party this commitment: we would always preference the Nationals above
One Nation! The Liberal Party will not give the National Party that commitment.
We came close once. The member for Roe knows that there is a standing
invitation for him. I know that, in his heart of hearts, he wants to be on this
side—I can tell. There is a standing invitation to the member for Roe and
others.
It was amazing that the Liberal Party
took the lead of One Nation in question time today. That is what the Liberal
Party has done today. We know that that is not where the Liberal Party stands
on the federal budget because its shadow Treasurer stood up and said that it
was a visionary budget that would tackle intergenerational equity. The shadow
Treasurer said that regardless of the content of the budget papers that night, it
would be a visionary budget that tackled inequity. They are the words of the
shadow Treasurer. They are there in black and white. They exist. They are the
facts. As I said, the Leader of the National Party has to drop his hatred for
Metronet if he wants to come and be our dance partner. It would be a good
partnership. We would deliver for the suburbs and the regions. We will not go
down the path of the Liberal Party. We will not turn our back on the Nationals,
like the Liberal Party has done. I know that, in his heart of hearts, he knows
that it is the right choice. We would always preference the Nationals over One
Nation, not like the Liberal Party!
Visitors
The Speaker: Before I give the member for Cottesloe
the call, I would like to welcome the former member for Collie–Preston down the
back, Hon Mick Murray, who was recently awarded a Member of the Order of
Australia. Congratulation, Mick; it was really well deserved.
(Applause.)
Before I go to the response, on behalf of, I think, everyone, in the chamber,
good luck to the Socceroos in their opening match on Sunday. It is going to be
a ripper on Sunday. In particular, three Western Australians are playing for
the Socceroos—Alessandro Circati, Jacob Italiano and Cam Burgess, with great
relationships with the Inglewood United Football Club, Perth Soccer Club and
ECU Joondalup. Having three Socceroos with Western Australian backgrounds is
something we should all be proud of. Good luck to the Socceroos, in particular
against the United States.
Anyway, let us keep going on
Metronet and the expansion of our public transport system. As members know, we
have continued to invest in public transport across the suburbs. This week, we
celebrated the first anniversary of the Thornlie–Cockburn Link with the member
for Southern River. We went there and bought a cake and shared it with one of
the Transperth workers who was also celebrating her one-year anniversary of
commencing work in the Public Transport Authority. We got to meet a lot of the
people catching the trains. There were school students connecting to Perth
Modern School or Saint Norbert College, and going the other way back to come
Kelmscott Senior High School as well. Schoolkids, of course, travel for free
across the network. Workers are also joining our public transport system and
are very appreciative of the new rail line. In relation to weekly boardings,
currently there are over a thousand at Nicholson Road. We have seen significant
growth in the number of boardings. Of course, for the first time, we have
connected the two rail lines. Connecting the Armadale rail line with the Mandurah
rail line allows people to go east–west and connect to major hubs, whether it
be Cockburn or across to Cannington and surrounds. It is a very significant
milestone. Happy birthday to the Thornlie–Cockburn Link.
Of course, we have heard the
opposition, and the Nationals WA in particular, rubbish Metronet and say that
there are not enough people living in the suburbs for new rail line expansions.
I think the Leader of the Nationals WA said there are not enough people living
in Yanchep for the Yanchep rail station. Leader of the National Party, it is
time that we joined forces. We know that the Liberal Party, the Nationals'
dance partner, is off somewhere else. If we were to look at the Liberal Party's
Facebook status, we would see that it has gone from "In a
relationship" to "It's complicated". The National Party chose a
dance partner and that dance partner has gone elsewhere. I will give the
National Party this commitment: we would always preference the Nationals above
One Nation! The Liberal Party will not give the National Party that commitment.
We came close once. The member for Roe knows that there is a standing
invitation for him. I know that, in his heart of hearts, he wants to be on this
side—I can tell. There is a standing invitation to the member for Roe and
others.
It was amazing that the Liberal Party
took the lead of One Nation in question time today. That is what the Liberal
Party has done today. We know that that is not where the Liberal Party stands
on the federal budget because its shadow Treasurer stood up and said that it
was a visionary budget that would tackle intergenerational equity. The shadow
Treasurer said that regardless of the content of the budget papers that night, it
would be a visionary budget that tackled inequity. They are the words of the
shadow Treasurer. They are there in black and white. They exist. They are the
facts. As I said, the Leader of the National Party has to drop his hatred for
Metronet if he wants to come and be our dance partner. It would be a good
partnership. We would deliver for the suburbs and the regions. We will not go
down the path of the Liberal Party. We will not turn our back on the Nationals,
like the Liberal Party has done. I know that, in his heart of hearts, he knows
that it is the right choice. We would always preference the Nationals over One
Nation, not like the Liberal Party!
Visitors
The Speaker: Before I give the member for Cottesloe
the call, I would like to welcome the former member for Collie–Preston down the
back, Hon Mick Murray, who was recently awarded a Member of the Order of
Australia. Congratulation, Mick; it was really well deserved.
(Applause.)
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