❓ Question regarding the Opposition's stance on the southern suburbs railway, specifically the Rockingham to Mandurah line. The Minister accuses the Opposition of flip-flopping and promoting a busway alternative based on flawed claims about speed and capacity.
AnsweredQoN 339Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Can the minister advise the House of the Opposition’s latest position on the southern suburbs railway? Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN
AnswerView source ↗
It has more twists and turns than the Kenwick deviation. I was stunned to receive a question on notice from my good friend the member for Carine. In that question she criticised the Government for building the rail from Rockingham to Mandurah. Ms K. Hodson-Thomas: I did not. I didn’t mislead this place; I didn’t criticise; I was seeking information. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: The question was framed in such a way that it had entrenched within it a critique of the Government for, guess what, building a rail to Rockingham and Mandurah, because the member said it was far quicker to run buses between Rockingham and Mandurah and that they have far more capacity. The member for Carine claimed that if a busway were to be built between Rockingham and Mandurah, it would have three times the capacity of the trains. We have heard many different policies from those opposite and the latest policy now seems to be that they will not build a rail line to Mandurah at all, and that between Rockingham and Mandurah they will build a busway. I know that Willy Packer is very influential with the member for Carine, but I want to share a couple of little facts with members. I have answered the question put by the member for Carine and it should appear in Hansard today or tomorrow but, so that it is absolutely clear, I advise that to travel between Perth and Mandurah by bus takes 73 minutes and to travel by rail will take 48 minutes. I do not understand this claim that it will be quicker going by bus. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It is pretty clear: 73 compared with 48 minutes. The second part of the question, no doubt inspired by Mr Bruechle and Mr Packer and the “let them eat buses” brigade, suggests that buses have three times the capacity of trains. I will share this information with members. Our capacity on the rail system with our six-car sets is to move 18 000 passengers an hour in one direction. To carry the equivalent number of people on buses would take 260 buses travelling 13 seconds apart. To meet the standard claimed by the member for Carine and her friend Willy “let them ride buses” Packer, she says that busways can carry three times as many people. That equates to 54 000 passengers an hour, which would require 770 buses travelling five seconds apart. This is just nonsense! We want a clear statement from the Opposition so that the people of Rockingham and Mandurah know whether they will be getting bus or rail.
Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN replied: It has more twists and turns than the Kenwick deviation. I was stunned to receive a question on notice from my good friend the member for Carine. In that question she criticised the Government for building the rail from Rockingham to Mandurah. Ms K. Hodson-Thomas: I did not. I didn’t mislead this place; I didn’t criticise; I was seeking information. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: The question was framed in such a way that it had entrenched within it a critique of the Government for, guess what, building a rail to Rockingham and Mandurah, because the member said it was far quicker to run buses between Rockingham and Mandurah and that they have far more capacity. The member for Carine claimed that if a busway were to be built between Rockingham and Mandurah, it would have three times the capacity of the trains. We have heard many different policies from those opposite and the latest policy now seems to be that they will not build a rail line to Mandurah at all, and that between Rockingham and Mandurah they will build a busway. I know that Willy Packer is very influential with the member for Carine, but I want to share a couple of little facts with members. I have answered the question put by the member for Carine and it should appear in Hansard today or tomorrow but, so that it is absolutely clear, I advise that to travel between Perth and Mandurah by bus takes 73 minutes and to travel by rail will take 48 minutes. I do not understand this claim that it will be quicker going by bus. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It is pretty clear: 73 compared with 48 minutes. The second part of the question, no doubt inspired by Mr Bruechle and Mr Packer and the “let them eat buses” brigade, suggests that buses have three times the capacity of trains. I will share this information with members. Our capacity on the rail system with our six-car sets is to move 18 000 passengers an hour in one direction. To carry the equivalent number of people on buses would take 260 buses travelling 13 seconds apart. To meet the standard claimed by the member for Carine and her friend Willy “let them ride buses” Packer, she says that busways can carry three times as many people. That equates to 54 000 passengers an hour, which would require 770 buses travelling five seconds apart. This is just nonsense! We want a clear statement from the Opposition so that the people of Rockingham and Mandurah know whether they will be getting bus or rail.
It has more twists and turns than the Kenwick deviation. I was stunned to receive a question on notice from my good friend the member for Carine. In that question she criticised the Government for building the rail from Rockingham to Mandurah. Ms K. Hodson-Thomas: I did not. I didn’t mislead this place; I didn’t criticise; I was seeking information. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: The question was framed in such a way that it had entrenched within it a critique of the Government for, guess what, building a rail to Rockingham and Mandurah, because the member said it was far quicker to run buses between Rockingham and Mandurah and that they have far more capacity. The member for Carine claimed that if a busway were to be built between Rockingham and Mandurah, it would have three times the capacity of the trains. We have heard many different policies from those opposite and the latest policy now seems to be that they will not build a rail line to Mandurah at all, and that between Rockingham and Mandurah they will build a busway. I know that Willy Packer is very influential with the member for Carine, but I want to share a couple of little facts with members. I have answered the question put by the member for Carine and it should appear in Hansard today or tomorrow but, so that it is absolutely clear, I advise that to travel between Perth and Mandurah by bus takes 73 minutes and to travel by rail will take 48 minutes. I do not understand this claim that it will be quicker going by bus. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It is pretty clear: 73 compared with 48 minutes. The second part of the question, no doubt inspired by Mr Bruechle and Mr Packer and the “let them eat buses” brigade, suggests that buses have three times the capacity of trains. I will share this information with members. Our capacity on the rail system with our six-car sets is to move 18 000 passengers an hour in one direction. To carry the equivalent number of people on buses would take 260 buses travelling 13 seconds apart. To meet the standard claimed by the member for Carine and her friend Willy “let them ride buses” Packer, she says that busways can carry three times as many people. That equates to 54 000 passengers an hour, which would require 770 buses travelling five seconds apart. This is just nonsense! We want a clear statement from the Opposition so that the people of Rockingham and Mandurah know whether they will be getting bus or rail.
Ms K. Hodson-Thomas: I did not. I didn’t mislead this place; I didn’t criticise; I was seeking information. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: The question was framed in such a way that it had entrenched within it a critique of the Government for, guess what, building a rail to Rockingham and Mandurah, because the member said it was far quicker to run buses between Rockingham and Mandurah and that they have far more capacity. The member for Carine claimed that if a busway were to be built between Rockingham and Mandurah, it would have three times the capacity of the trains. We have heard many different policies from those opposite and the latest policy now seems to be that they will not build a rail line to Mandurah at all, and that between Rockingham and Mandurah they will build a busway. I know that Willy Packer is very influential with the member for Carine, but I want to share a couple of little facts with members. I have answered the question put by the member for Carine and it should appear in Hansard today or tomorrow but, so that it is absolutely clear, I advise that to travel between Perth and Mandurah by bus takes 73 minutes and to travel by rail will take 48 minutes. I do not understand this claim that it will be quicker going by bus. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It is pretty clear: 73 compared with 48 minutes. The second part of the question, no doubt inspired by Mr Bruechle and Mr Packer and the “let them eat buses” brigade, suggests that buses have three times the capacity of trains. I will share this information with members. Our capacity on the rail system with our six-car sets is to move 18 000 passengers an hour in one direction. To carry the equivalent number of people on buses would take 260 buses travelling 13 seconds apart. To meet the standard claimed by the member for Carine and her friend Willy “let them ride buses” Packer, she says that busways can carry three times as many people. That equates to 54 000 passengers an hour, which would require 770 buses travelling five seconds apart. This is just nonsense! We want a clear statement from the Opposition so that the people of Rockingham and Mandurah know whether they will be getting bus or rail.
Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: The question was framed in such a way that it had entrenched within it a critique of the Government for, guess what, building a rail to Rockingham and Mandurah, because the member said it was far quicker to run buses between Rockingham and Mandurah and that they have far more capacity. The member for Carine claimed that if a busway were to be built between Rockingham and Mandurah, it would have three times the capacity of the trains. We have heard many different policies from those opposite and the latest policy now seems to be that they will not build a rail line to Mandurah at all, and that between Rockingham and Mandurah they will build a busway. I know that Willy Packer is very influential with the member for Carine, but I want to share a couple of little facts with members. I have answered the question put by the member for Carine and it should appear in Hansard today or tomorrow but, so that it is absolutely clear, I advise that to travel between Perth and Mandurah by bus takes 73 minutes and to travel by rail will take 48 minutes. I do not understand this claim that it will be quicker going by bus. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It is pretty clear: 73 compared with 48 minutes. The second part of the question, no doubt inspired by Mr Bruechle and Mr Packer and the “let them eat buses” brigade, suggests that buses have three times the capacity of trains. I will share this information with members. Our capacity on the rail system with our six-car sets is to move 18 000 passengers an hour in one direction. To carry the equivalent number of people on buses would take 260 buses travelling 13 seconds apart. To meet the standard claimed by the member for Carine and her friend Willy “let them ride buses” Packer, she says that busways can carry three times as many people. That equates to 54 000 passengers an hour, which would require 770 buses travelling five seconds apart. This is just nonsense! We want a clear statement from the Opposition so that the people of Rockingham and Mandurah know whether they will be getting bus or rail.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It is pretty clear: 73 compared with 48 minutes. The second part of the question, no doubt inspired by Mr Bruechle and Mr Packer and the “let them eat buses” brigade, suggests that buses have three times the capacity of trains. I will share this information with members. Our capacity on the rail system with our six-car sets is to move 18 000 passengers an hour in one direction. To carry the equivalent number of people on buses would take 260 buses travelling 13 seconds apart. To meet the standard claimed by the member for Carine and her friend Willy “let them ride buses” Packer, she says that busways can carry three times as many people. That equates to 54 000 passengers an hour, which would require 770 buses travelling five seconds apart. This is just nonsense! We want a clear statement from the Opposition so that the people of Rockingham and Mandurah know whether they will be getting bus or rail.
The SPEAKER: Order, members! Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It is pretty clear: 73 compared with 48 minutes. The second part of the question, no doubt inspired by Mr Bruechle and Mr Packer and the “let them eat buses” brigade, suggests that buses have three times the capacity of trains. I will share this information with members. Our capacity on the rail system with our six-car sets is to move 18 000 passengers an hour in one direction. To carry the equivalent number of people on buses would take 260 buses travelling 13 seconds apart. To meet the standard claimed by the member for Carine and her friend Willy “let them ride buses” Packer, she says that busways can carry three times as many people. That equates to 54 000 passengers an hour, which would require 770 buses travelling five seconds apart. This is just nonsense! We want a clear statement from the Opposition so that the people of Rockingham and Mandurah know whether they will be getting bus or rail.
Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It is pretty clear: 73 compared with 48 minutes. The second part of the question, no doubt inspired by Mr Bruechle and Mr Packer and the “let them eat buses” brigade, suggests that buses have three times the capacity of trains. I will share this information with members. Our capacity on the rail system with our six-car sets is to move 18 000 passengers an hour in one direction. To carry the equivalent number of people on buses would take 260 buses travelling 13 seconds apart. To meet the standard claimed by the member for Carine and her friend Willy “let them ride buses” Packer, she says that busways can carry three times as many people. That equates to 54 000 passengers an hour, which would require 770 buses travelling five seconds apart. This is just nonsense! We want a clear statement from the Opposition so that the people of Rockingham and Mandurah know whether they will be getting bus or rail.
Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN replied: It has more twists and turns than the Kenwick deviation. I was stunned to receive a question on notice from my good friend the member for Carine. In that question she criticised the Government for building the rail from Rockingham to Mandurah. Ms K. Hodson-Thomas: I did not. I didn’t mislead this place; I didn’t criticise; I was seeking information. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: The question was framed in such a way that it had entrenched within it a critique of the Government for, guess what, building a rail to Rockingham and Mandurah, because the member said it was far quicker to run buses between Rockingham and Mandurah and that they have far more capacity. The member for Carine claimed that if a busway were to be built between Rockingham and Mandurah, it would have three times the capacity of the trains. We have heard many different policies from those opposite and the latest policy now seems to be that they will not build a rail line to Mandurah at all, and that between Rockingham and Mandurah they will build a busway. I know that Willy Packer is very influential with the member for Carine, but I want to share a couple of little facts with members. I have answered the question put by the member for Carine and it should appear in Hansard today or tomorrow but, so that it is absolutely clear, I advise that to travel between Perth and Mandurah by bus takes 73 minutes and to travel by rail will take 48 minutes. I do not understand this claim that it will be quicker going by bus. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It is pretty clear: 73 compared with 48 minutes. The second part of the question, no doubt inspired by Mr Bruechle and Mr Packer and the “let them eat buses” brigade, suggests that buses have three times the capacity of trains. I will share this information with members. Our capacity on the rail system with our six-car sets is to move 18 000 passengers an hour in one direction. To carry the equivalent number of people on buses would take 260 buses travelling 13 seconds apart. To meet the standard claimed by the member for Carine and her friend Willy “let them ride buses” Packer, she says that busways can carry three times as many people. That equates to 54 000 passengers an hour, which would require 770 buses travelling five seconds apart. This is just nonsense! We want a clear statement from the Opposition so that the people of Rockingham and Mandurah know whether they will be getting bus or rail.
It has more twists and turns than the Kenwick deviation. I was stunned to receive a question on notice from my good friend the member for Carine. In that question she criticised the Government for building the rail from Rockingham to Mandurah. Ms K. Hodson-Thomas: I did not. I didn’t mislead this place; I didn’t criticise; I was seeking information. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: The question was framed in such a way that it had entrenched within it a critique of the Government for, guess what, building a rail to Rockingham and Mandurah, because the member said it was far quicker to run buses between Rockingham and Mandurah and that they have far more capacity. The member for Carine claimed that if a busway were to be built between Rockingham and Mandurah, it would have three times the capacity of the trains. We have heard many different policies from those opposite and the latest policy now seems to be that they will not build a rail line to Mandurah at all, and that between Rockingham and Mandurah they will build a busway. I know that Willy Packer is very influential with the member for Carine, but I want to share a couple of little facts with members. I have answered the question put by the member for Carine and it should appear in Hansard today or tomorrow but, so that it is absolutely clear, I advise that to travel between Perth and Mandurah by bus takes 73 minutes and to travel by rail will take 48 minutes. I do not understand this claim that it will be quicker going by bus. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It is pretty clear: 73 compared with 48 minutes. The second part of the question, no doubt inspired by Mr Bruechle and Mr Packer and the “let them eat buses” brigade, suggests that buses have three times the capacity of trains. I will share this information with members. Our capacity on the rail system with our six-car sets is to move 18 000 passengers an hour in one direction. To carry the equivalent number of people on buses would take 260 buses travelling 13 seconds apart. To meet the standard claimed by the member for Carine and her friend Willy “let them ride buses” Packer, she says that busways can carry three times as many people. That equates to 54 000 passengers an hour, which would require 770 buses travelling five seconds apart. This is just nonsense! We want a clear statement from the Opposition so that the people of Rockingham and Mandurah know whether they will be getting bus or rail.
Ms K. Hodson-Thomas: I did not. I didn’t mislead this place; I didn’t criticise; I was seeking information. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: The question was framed in such a way that it had entrenched within it a critique of the Government for, guess what, building a rail to Rockingham and Mandurah, because the member said it was far quicker to run buses between Rockingham and Mandurah and that they have far more capacity. The member for Carine claimed that if a busway were to be built between Rockingham and Mandurah, it would have three times the capacity of the trains. We have heard many different policies from those opposite and the latest policy now seems to be that they will not build a rail line to Mandurah at all, and that between Rockingham and Mandurah they will build a busway. I know that Willy Packer is very influential with the member for Carine, but I want to share a couple of little facts with members. I have answered the question put by the member for Carine and it should appear in Hansard today or tomorrow but, so that it is absolutely clear, I advise that to travel between Perth and Mandurah by bus takes 73 minutes and to travel by rail will take 48 minutes. I do not understand this claim that it will be quicker going by bus. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It is pretty clear: 73 compared with 48 minutes. The second part of the question, no doubt inspired by Mr Bruechle and Mr Packer and the “let them eat buses” brigade, suggests that buses have three times the capacity of trains. I will share this information with members. Our capacity on the rail system with our six-car sets is to move 18 000 passengers an hour in one direction. To carry the equivalent number of people on buses would take 260 buses travelling 13 seconds apart. To meet the standard claimed by the member for Carine and her friend Willy “let them ride buses” Packer, she says that busways can carry three times as many people. That equates to 54 000 passengers an hour, which would require 770 buses travelling five seconds apart. This is just nonsense! We want a clear statement from the Opposition so that the people of Rockingham and Mandurah know whether they will be getting bus or rail.
Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: The question was framed in such a way that it had entrenched within it a critique of the Government for, guess what, building a rail to Rockingham and Mandurah, because the member said it was far quicker to run buses between Rockingham and Mandurah and that they have far more capacity. The member for Carine claimed that if a busway were to be built between Rockingham and Mandurah, it would have three times the capacity of the trains. We have heard many different policies from those opposite and the latest policy now seems to be that they will not build a rail line to Mandurah at all, and that between Rockingham and Mandurah they will build a busway. I know that Willy Packer is very influential with the member for Carine, but I want to share a couple of little facts with members. I have answered the question put by the member for Carine and it should appear in Hansard today or tomorrow but, so that it is absolutely clear, I advise that to travel between Perth and Mandurah by bus takes 73 minutes and to travel by rail will take 48 minutes. I do not understand this claim that it will be quicker going by bus. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It is pretty clear: 73 compared with 48 minutes. The second part of the question, no doubt inspired by Mr Bruechle and Mr Packer and the “let them eat buses” brigade, suggests that buses have three times the capacity of trains. I will share this information with members. Our capacity on the rail system with our six-car sets is to move 18 000 passengers an hour in one direction. To carry the equivalent number of people on buses would take 260 buses travelling 13 seconds apart. To meet the standard claimed by the member for Carine and her friend Willy “let them ride buses” Packer, she says that busways can carry three times as many people. That equates to 54 000 passengers an hour, which would require 770 buses travelling five seconds apart. This is just nonsense! We want a clear statement from the Opposition so that the people of Rockingham and Mandurah know whether they will be getting bus or rail.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It is pretty clear: 73 compared with 48 minutes. The second part of the question, no doubt inspired by Mr Bruechle and Mr Packer and the “let them eat buses” brigade, suggests that buses have three times the capacity of trains. I will share this information with members. Our capacity on the rail system with our six-car sets is to move 18 000 passengers an hour in one direction. To carry the equivalent number of people on buses would take 260 buses travelling 13 seconds apart. To meet the standard claimed by the member for Carine and her friend Willy “let them ride buses” Packer, she says that busways can carry three times as many people. That equates to 54 000 passengers an hour, which would require 770 buses travelling five seconds apart. This is just nonsense! We want a clear statement from the Opposition so that the people of Rockingham and Mandurah know whether they will be getting bus or rail.
The SPEAKER: Order, members! Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It is pretty clear: 73 compared with 48 minutes. The second part of the question, no doubt inspired by Mr Bruechle and Mr Packer and the “let them eat buses” brigade, suggests that buses have three times the capacity of trains. I will share this information with members. Our capacity on the rail system with our six-car sets is to move 18 000 passengers an hour in one direction. To carry the equivalent number of people on buses would take 260 buses travelling 13 seconds apart. To meet the standard claimed by the member for Carine and her friend Willy “let them ride buses” Packer, she says that busways can carry three times as many people. That equates to 54 000 passengers an hour, which would require 770 buses travelling five seconds apart. This is just nonsense! We want a clear statement from the Opposition so that the people of Rockingham and Mandurah know whether they will be getting bus or rail.
Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It is pretty clear: 73 compared with 48 minutes. The second part of the question, no doubt inspired by Mr Bruechle and Mr Packer and the “let them eat buses” brigade, suggests that buses have three times the capacity of trains. I will share this information with members. Our capacity on the rail system with our six-car sets is to move 18 000 passengers an hour in one direction. To carry the equivalent number of people on buses would take 260 buses travelling 13 seconds apart. To meet the standard claimed by the member for Carine and her friend Willy “let them ride buses” Packer, she says that busways can carry three times as many people. That equates to 54 000 passengers an hour, which would require 770 buses travelling five seconds apart. This is just nonsense! We want a clear statement from the Opposition so that the people of Rockingham and Mandurah know whether they will be getting bus or rail.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.