❓ Question on the Tonkin Gap project, focusing on congestion reduction, safety improvements, job creation, and comparison to the previous government's infrastructure record. The Minister's answer defends the current government's record and criticizes the previous government's performance.
AnsweredQoN 491Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
TONKIN GAP PROJECT
491. Ms L.L. BAKER to the Minister for Transport:
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's record investment in road
infrastructure in Western Australia, including the Tonkin Highway Gap
project. Can the minister outline to the house how that project will reduce
congestion and improve safety in the area,
which includes my area, as well as support local jobs and local businesses;
and, while the minister is there, can she tell us how this government's
unprecedented infrastructure investment compares with the record of the
Nationals WA and the Liberals?
491. Ms L.L. BAKER to the Minister for Transport:
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's record investment in road
infrastructure in Western Australia, including the Tonkin Highway Gap
project. Can the minister outline to the house how that project will reduce
congestion and improve safety in the area,
which includes my area, as well as support local jobs and local businesses;
and, while the minister is there, can she tell us how this government's
unprecedented infrastructure investment compares with the record of the
Nationals WA and the Liberals?
AnswerView source ↗
Thank you, member for Maylands.
While I am here, I will provide those answers. I thank the member for her
ongoing work in the community. Projects like this are very complex. They are
challenging to deliver. I know the member for Maylands has been working very
hard with the local community to make sure we get the best outcome.
I was joined recently by the member
for Maylands, and of course the member for Belmont, the federal member for
Swan, and the Premier, to see the work that is being undertaken, known as the
Tonkin Gap project, members. The Tonkin Gap project is all about widening and
expanding Tonkin Highway around the Bayswater area to increase the number of
lanes and improve pedestrian and cyclist access, and also to build new noise
walls to protect the local residents. Again,
that is something that all the local members are working together to advocate
for, including the members for Belmont and Bassendean.
Mr R.R. Whitby : I though the ''Gap''
was the margin in Churchlands at the last election!
Several members interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : That is quite
good! I wish I had thought of that! Next time, I will seek the minister's
advice before I stand up!
Tonkin Gap is a very, very good
project, of course. As I said, it is all about reducing congestion, improving
safety and improving local amenity. Importantly, this project includes a key
part of the Ellenbrook rail line, members. Remember, this was a rail line that
the previous government committed to twice and failed to deliver. It lied to
the people of Ellenbrook and the entire corridor on a number of occasions. Of
course this project includes the dive structures
under both the southbound and northbound lanes of Tonkin Highway for the rail
line to enter and exit the median,
the enabling works of the entire median, and also the new Broun Avenue bridge,
which is under construction at the moment. It is a massive, massive
project.
I think there is no better
example of how the previous government failed Western Australians than the
Ellenbrook rail line. I will of course turn to the report, Road to reform: Review of the WA Liberal Party 2021 . That review highlighted —
The 'pandemic excuse'
is just an excuse for the magnitude of the loss.
�
The
staggering laziness of the Opposition and lack of action by the Party in
creating and 'selling' acceptable policies much earlier
than the advent of the pandemic were contributing factors.
Again today we have seen, since the
March election, more laziness and more division, and the inability of the leadership of the alliance—the Leader of
the National Party and the Leader of the Liberal Party—to stand up to
the puppeteers in the other place —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order!
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : — to
call it out, to actually draw a line in the sand and say what they did was
unacceptable.
Several members interjected.
Point of Order
Dr D.J.
HONEY : Point of order.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : There is a point of order. Just wait for silence. Thank
you.
Dr
D.J. HONEY : Thank you, Madam
Speaker. This has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the question that was asked by her own member.
The SPEAKER : I do not accept
the point of order, but, minister, I will ask you to draw your answer to a close.
Thank you.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Sure. I will
just quote another section of the review —
We
were told that many senior parliamentary members did little, if anything, to
develop policies in anticipation of the election.
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
Ms
R. SAFFIOTI : No, Leader of the Liberal
Party. This is a serious matter. You come in here and you criticise us, and you
call us all the names under the sun. Now the pressure is on you, Leader of the
Liberal Party. The pressure is on you.
Point of Order
Dr D.J.
HONEY : Point of order. She is treating your direction with contempt.
The
SPEAKER : Sorry. Who are you referring to?
Dr D.J. HONEY : The Minister
for Transport.
The SPEAKER : Thank you, and I
will caution you to refer to members by their seat name. Minister, can I just
draw you back to the question you were asked and your response to that, and I will
again ask you to draw your answer to a close.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Sure. I do
want to reflect, as I seriously do believe the Ellenbrook rail line was a demonstration
of the failure of the previous government. The Liberals and the Nationals WA
lied to the people at a number of elections. They did no work when they won
government. They did not challenge the assumptions. As a result, they failed
the people of the whole north-east corridor.
Members,
I am really proud of being able to deliver this project. But I want to
highlight yet again that the Leader of the Opposition has been silent on the
review into the Liberal Party—key people in the other place who are
creating divisive and sexist language and who basically are trying to undermine
democracy within the opposition. Nothing has been heard from the Leader of the
Opposition. I think it is up to the Leader of the Opposition to stand up to
that sort of behaviour.
While I am here, I will provide those answers. I thank the member for her
ongoing work in the community. Projects like this are very complex. They are
challenging to deliver. I know the member for Maylands has been working very
hard with the local community to make sure we get the best outcome.
I was joined recently by the member
for Maylands, and of course the member for Belmont, the federal member for
Swan, and the Premier, to see the work that is being undertaken, known as the
Tonkin Gap project, members. The Tonkin Gap project is all about widening and
expanding Tonkin Highway around the Bayswater area to increase the number of
lanes and improve pedestrian and cyclist access, and also to build new noise
walls to protect the local residents. Again,
that is something that all the local members are working together to advocate
for, including the members for Belmont and Bassendean.
Mr R.R. Whitby : I though the ''Gap''
was the margin in Churchlands at the last election!
Several members interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : That is quite
good! I wish I had thought of that! Next time, I will seek the minister's
advice before I stand up!
Tonkin Gap is a very, very good
project, of course. As I said, it is all about reducing congestion, improving
safety and improving local amenity. Importantly, this project includes a key
part of the Ellenbrook rail line, members. Remember, this was a rail line that
the previous government committed to twice and failed to deliver. It lied to
the people of Ellenbrook and the entire corridor on a number of occasions. Of
course this project includes the dive structures
under both the southbound and northbound lanes of Tonkin Highway for the rail
line to enter and exit the median,
the enabling works of the entire median, and also the new Broun Avenue bridge,
which is under construction at the moment. It is a massive, massive
project.
I think there is no better
example of how the previous government failed Western Australians than the
Ellenbrook rail line. I will of course turn to the report, Road to reform: Review of the WA Liberal Party 2021 . That review highlighted —
The 'pandemic excuse'
is just an excuse for the magnitude of the loss.
�
The
staggering laziness of the Opposition and lack of action by the Party in
creating and 'selling' acceptable policies much earlier
than the advent of the pandemic were contributing factors.
Again today we have seen, since the
March election, more laziness and more division, and the inability of the leadership of the alliance—the Leader of
the National Party and the Leader of the Liberal Party—to stand up to
the puppeteers in the other place —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order!
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : — to
call it out, to actually draw a line in the sand and say what they did was
unacceptable.
Several members interjected.
Point of Order
Dr D.J.
HONEY : Point of order.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : There is a point of order. Just wait for silence. Thank
you.
Dr
D.J. HONEY : Thank you, Madam
Speaker. This has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the question that was asked by her own member.
The SPEAKER : I do not accept
the point of order, but, minister, I will ask you to draw your answer to a close.
Thank you.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Sure. I will
just quote another section of the review —
We
were told that many senior parliamentary members did little, if anything, to
develop policies in anticipation of the election.
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
Ms
R. SAFFIOTI : No, Leader of the Liberal
Party. This is a serious matter. You come in here and you criticise us, and you
call us all the names under the sun. Now the pressure is on you, Leader of the
Liberal Party. The pressure is on you.
Point of Order
Dr D.J.
HONEY : Point of order. She is treating your direction with contempt.
The
SPEAKER : Sorry. Who are you referring to?
Dr D.J. HONEY : The Minister
for Transport.
The SPEAKER : Thank you, and I
will caution you to refer to members by their seat name. Minister, can I just
draw you back to the question you were asked and your response to that, and I will
again ask you to draw your answer to a close.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Sure. I do
want to reflect, as I seriously do believe the Ellenbrook rail line was a demonstration
of the failure of the previous government. The Liberals and the Nationals WA
lied to the people at a number of elections. They did no work when they won
government. They did not challenge the assumptions. As a result, they failed
the people of the whole north-east corridor.
Members,
I am really proud of being able to deliver this project. But I want to
highlight yet again that the Leader of the Opposition has been silent on the
review into the Liberal Party—key people in the other place who are
creating divisive and sexist language and who basically are trying to undermine
democracy within the opposition. Nothing has been heard from the Leader of the
Opposition. I think it is up to the Leader of the Opposition to stand up to
that sort of behaviour.
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