❓ Question regarding the Cook Labor government's public transport projects (Thornlie–Cockburn Link, Swan River ferry) and job creation. The Minister's response focuses on defending the government's record and attacking the opposition's past actions.
AnsweredQoN 6Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Transport—Infrastructure
6. Mr David Scaife to the Minister for Transport :
Before I ask my
question, I would like to also add my congratulations to you, Mr Speaker, on your
elevation. I benefited from your guidance in the last Parliament as an Acting Speaker,
and I suspect that because of that, I will be given very little latitude in
this one.
I refer to the Cook Labor
government's record of creating new local jobs and delivering world-class
infrastructure.
(1) Can the minister
advise the house how the delivery of important public transport projects such
as the Thornlie–Cockburn Link and the expanded Swan River ferry
service are creating new local jobs and supporting local manufacturing?
(2) Can the minister advise whether she is aware
of any opposition to our plan to make public transport cheaper and more
accessible for Western Australians?
6. Mr David Scaife to the Minister for Transport :
Before I ask my
question, I would like to also add my congratulations to you, Mr Speaker, on your
elevation. I benefited from your guidance in the last Parliament as an Acting Speaker,
and I suspect that because of that, I will be given very little latitude in
this one.
I refer to the Cook Labor
government's record of creating new local jobs and delivering world-class
infrastructure.
(1) Can the minister
advise the house how the delivery of important public transport projects such
as the Thornlie–Cockburn Link and the expanded Swan River ferry
service are creating new local jobs and supporting local manufacturing?
(2) Can the minister advise whether she is aware
of any opposition to our plan to make public transport cheaper and more
accessible for Western Australians?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member
for Cockburn for that question. I again congratulate everyone who has been elected
and you, Mr Speaker, on your new position.
(1)–(2) We have announced another major
milestone on Metronet, and that is the opening date of the Thornlie–Cockburn
Link. Only a few weeks ago, we were out there announcing—
Mr Shane Love interjected.
Ms Rita Saffioti: What was that?
Several members
interjected.
Ms Rita Saffioti: What was that? We will go to the
Liberal Party record in a minute!
Mr Shane Love interjected.
Ms Rita Saffioti: Remember that this is from a
National Party that sold off regional rail. It privatised Main Roads throughout
regional WA for a pittance—a pittance! It is actually a former leader
of the National Party who has been out there saying that the management and the
sale of Westrail freight by the National Party and Liberal Party was a
disgrace! Its own members are out there criticising what it did in government when
it closed down tier 3 and sold off the rail network, and it opposed our
position of buying back the regional rail network.
Let us go back to Metronet
and the magnificent milestone that of course is the opening of the Thornlie–Cockburn
line. We had a lot of members there—
Mr Shane Love interjected.
The Speaker: Order, Leader of the Nationals!
Ms Rita Saffioti: A lot of members were there because
it was a significant moment. It will create new—
Mr Shane Love interjected.
The Speaker: Order, Leader
of the Nationals!
Ms Rita Saffioti: You are just grumpy you are not the
Leader of the Opposition anymore! You got a pay cut! You do not have a driver!
Look at him; he is angry about it! He is angry. Luckily, he lives close to the
city and can catch free public transport! We made sure that where you live, you
get free public transport, so you are okay.
The Thornlie–Cockburn
line provides affordable and accessible public transport. A lot of the rail, or
most of the rail, is sourced in WA and we are building our trains here. We have
locally made trains.
Mr David Bolt interjected.
The Speaker: Order, m ember
for Murray–Wellington.
Ms Rita Saffioti: Does the member for Murray–Wellington
support our buying back the regional rail network?
Mr David Bolt interjected.
Several members
interjected.
Ms Rita Saffioti: The member for Murray–Wellington
has a lot to learn: if you want to interject, you have to answer the questions
back! They lost regional rail services in the member for Murray–Wellington's
area. I know the member's community is very excited about the potential of us
buying back that regional rail to support, for example, more tourism on our
regional rail network. There is a lot of excitement in the member's community.
I hope the member gets on board with our policy of bringing the rail network
back into government hands.
Several members
interjected.
Ms Rita Saffioti: Jeez, they are excitable today! This
is fun! I have been looking forward to it. This is fun.
I turn to our policy
of introducing a new network for ferries. How do members of the communities of
the members for Bateman and South Perth like the fact that we support expanding
the ferry network across the water and locally made ferries? We have gone out to
the market for a request for a tender to get back locally made ferries. I know
that the members' constituencies really support that ferry expansion, and were
surprised that a Liberal Party would oppose the members' constituents getting improved
and better access across the suburbs. Our record on public transport is
incredible. Their record, of course, was privatising regional rail, closing
down rail lines, going overseas to buy our rail cars
and breaking commitment after commitment, and still opposing everything. It
still opposed, for example, a new and expanded ferry system. Why would they
do that? That is the modern Liberal Party: it opposes all public transport. Even
when we commit to delivering affordable, accessible public transport, the
Liberal Party says no to everything.
for Cockburn for that question. I again congratulate everyone who has been elected
and you, Mr Speaker, on your new position.
(1)–(2) We have announced another major
milestone on Metronet, and that is the opening date of the Thornlie–Cockburn
Link. Only a few weeks ago, we were out there announcing—
Mr Shane Love interjected.
Ms Rita Saffioti: What was that?
Several members
interjected.
Ms Rita Saffioti: What was that? We will go to the
Liberal Party record in a minute!
Mr Shane Love interjected.
Ms Rita Saffioti: Remember that this is from a
National Party that sold off regional rail. It privatised Main Roads throughout
regional WA for a pittance—a pittance! It is actually a former leader
of the National Party who has been out there saying that the management and the
sale of Westrail freight by the National Party and Liberal Party was a
disgrace! Its own members are out there criticising what it did in government when
it closed down tier 3 and sold off the rail network, and it opposed our
position of buying back the regional rail network.
Let us go back to Metronet
and the magnificent milestone that of course is the opening of the Thornlie–Cockburn
line. We had a lot of members there—
Mr Shane Love interjected.
The Speaker: Order, Leader of the Nationals!
Ms Rita Saffioti: A lot of members were there because
it was a significant moment. It will create new—
Mr Shane Love interjected.
The Speaker: Order, Leader
of the Nationals!
Ms Rita Saffioti: You are just grumpy you are not the
Leader of the Opposition anymore! You got a pay cut! You do not have a driver!
Look at him; he is angry about it! He is angry. Luckily, he lives close to the
city and can catch free public transport! We made sure that where you live, you
get free public transport, so you are okay.
The Thornlie–Cockburn
line provides affordable and accessible public transport. A lot of the rail, or
most of the rail, is sourced in WA and we are building our trains here. We have
locally made trains.
Mr David Bolt interjected.
The Speaker: Order, m ember
for Murray–Wellington.
Ms Rita Saffioti: Does the member for Murray–Wellington
support our buying back the regional rail network?
Mr David Bolt interjected.
Several members
interjected.
Ms Rita Saffioti: The member for Murray–Wellington
has a lot to learn: if you want to interject, you have to answer the questions
back! They lost regional rail services in the member for Murray–Wellington's
area. I know the member's community is very excited about the potential of us
buying back that regional rail to support, for example, more tourism on our
regional rail network. There is a lot of excitement in the member's community.
I hope the member gets on board with our policy of bringing the rail network
back into government hands.
Several members
interjected.
Ms Rita Saffioti: Jeez, they are excitable today! This
is fun! I have been looking forward to it. This is fun.
I turn to our policy
of introducing a new network for ferries. How do members of the communities of
the members for Bateman and South Perth like the fact that we support expanding
the ferry network across the water and locally made ferries? We have gone out to
the market for a request for a tender to get back locally made ferries. I know
that the members' constituencies really support that ferry expansion, and were
surprised that a Liberal Party would oppose the members' constituents getting improved
and better access across the suburbs. Our record on public transport is
incredible. Their record, of course, was privatising regional rail, closing
down rail lines, going overseas to buy our rail cars
and breaking commitment after commitment, and still opposing everything. It
still opposed, for example, a new and expanded ferry system. Why would they
do that? That is the modern Liberal Party: it opposes all public transport. Even
when we commit to delivering affordable, accessible public transport, the
Liberal Party says no to everything.
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