❓ Opposition questions the Treasurer about cost overruns in the Metronet project and requests a special inquiry. The Treasurer defends the project, accuses the opposition of undermining public transport, and highlights the project's benefits and popularity.
AnsweredQoN 223Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
METRONET — COSTS
223. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Treasurer:
The Western Australian Labor
government's signature electoral commitment, Metronet, has ballooned in
costs from its initial $3 billion to a staggering $1.5 billion.
Mr P.J. Rundle : Eleven.
Mr R.S. LOVE : Sorry, $11.5 billion.
Mr R.H. Cook : I was going to
say, it's getting cheaper all the time!
Mr R.S. LOVE : It is getting late in question time!
Given the significant cost overrun, will the Treasurer commit to establishing a
special inquiry into the management of this project?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please,
members! Question time has already taken too long, largely because of some
lengthy answers. Minister, I will ask you to be relatively brief.
223. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Treasurer:
The Western Australian Labor
government's signature electoral commitment, Metronet, has ballooned in
costs from its initial $3 billion to a staggering $1.5 billion.
Mr P.J. Rundle : Eleven.
Mr R.S. LOVE : Sorry, $11.5 billion.
Mr R.H. Cook : I was going to
say, it's getting cheaper all the time!
Mr R.S. LOVE : It is getting late in question time!
Given the significant cost overrun, will the Treasurer commit to establishing a
special inquiry into the management of this project?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please,
members! Question time has already taken too long, largely because of some
lengthy answers. Minister, I will ask you to be relatively brief.
AnswerView source ↗
Thank you. I know that the member is
particularly interested in this because he lives very close to a Metronet
project, so it is always front of mind, is it not, Leader of the Nationals WA!
In relation to Metronet, we know
that the National and Liberal Parties do not support it because they do not
support public transport. For all their hot air when they come into this place,
all they have ever done is run down public transport and public rail in Western
Australia. They sold off Westrail freight. They closed the Midland Workshops.
As a government, members opposite did nothing to support people living in the
suburbs moving to connect to jobs and
connect to opportunities. The member's figures are wrong. I have
explained them a hundred times in this place . He still does not get it.
We committed to a number of projects and, since we won government, federal
governments of both persuasions have given us money for more projects. We
committed to four level crossing removals. I think the latest situation is that
we are delivering about 16 level crossing removals. We are doing other projects
like high-capacity signalling and expanded Metronet rail delivery, so those
numbers are false.
In
relation to Metronet, what does the opposition have against people wanting
affordable, efficient transport? When we look at how WA compares with the other
states, I know that the Premier has just outlined that one of the reasons they
come to WA is because they can afford to move from point A to B. There are no
toll roads. We have the cheapest public transport system in the nation. The
maximum people pay is $5. Very soon, someone living in Yanchep can go from Yanchep to Perth Airport for $5. Members
opposite should name for me somewhere else that can happen! Someone can be living in the member for Dawesville's
electorate and go to the airport for $5. Tell me somewhere else that will
happen! To make sure we can continue to support affordable public transport, we
need to build new rail lines.
Members
opposite broke election commitments, and they are proud of it. Look at them!
They sat there telling the people of Ellenbrook that they were going to
deliver a rail line, and they never did anything. When we won government, I expected
to find at least something on the Ellenbrook rail line. I went looking through
the cupboards to see what work they had done. Even though members opposite made
commitments in two elections to deliver the Ellenbrook rail line, what work did
they do? Nothing. We started from scratch. I was talking to the member for
Southern River yesterday about the Thornlie–Cockburn Link. Members
opposite made a commitment on the Thornlie–Cockburn Link. When we won,
I assumed they had planned something. Basically, a lot of the planning had not
been done, so we started from scratch. Yanchep is another example.
I am very proud of Metronet. I was
in a shop the other day. I was looking at the Pink Lady apples—my
favourite apple—and the shop assistant came up and said, ''You're
Rita, aren't you?'' I said that I was. He said, ''I live
in Byford, and you know what? That train
station is just near where I live.'' He is a Coles shop assistant who
stopped me to say how it will transform his life. I am so proud that for
generations to come there will be people moving across the suburbs in an
affordable way, getting opportunities that members opposite would deny them,
because they divide and they hate people living in the suburbs. As a government,
members opposite did nothing for them. They turned their back. We have a growth
of 94 000 people. How do we move them? All members opposite want to do is
divide.
I
say that we are providing affordability in not only the city, but also the
regions. Our capped air fares again are costing more than we said, but members
opposite do not care about that. They cost more than we said, but do members
know what? They are delivering actual outcomes because they are so popular. I will
go in to bat day in, day out for Western Australians who want affordable,
efficient ways to move around, to give them opportunities that members opposite
would deny them. Members opposite would leave them in their suburbs with fake
and false commitments every day. I was
there when we brought those railcars onto the track. There are people there who
without public transport would not be
able to participate in society. Members opposite can turn their back on them,
but I am not going to.
particularly interested in this because he lives very close to a Metronet
project, so it is always front of mind, is it not, Leader of the Nationals WA!
In relation to Metronet, we know
that the National and Liberal Parties do not support it because they do not
support public transport. For all their hot air when they come into this place,
all they have ever done is run down public transport and public rail in Western
Australia. They sold off Westrail freight. They closed the Midland Workshops.
As a government, members opposite did nothing to support people living in the
suburbs moving to connect to jobs and
connect to opportunities. The member's figures are wrong. I have
explained them a hundred times in this place . He still does not get it.
We committed to a number of projects and, since we won government, federal
governments of both persuasions have given us money for more projects. We
committed to four level crossing removals. I think the latest situation is that
we are delivering about 16 level crossing removals. We are doing other projects
like high-capacity signalling and expanded Metronet rail delivery, so those
numbers are false.
In
relation to Metronet, what does the opposition have against people wanting
affordable, efficient transport? When we look at how WA compares with the other
states, I know that the Premier has just outlined that one of the reasons they
come to WA is because they can afford to move from point A to B. There are no
toll roads. We have the cheapest public transport system in the nation. The
maximum people pay is $5. Very soon, someone living in Yanchep can go from Yanchep to Perth Airport for $5. Members
opposite should name for me somewhere else that can happen! Someone can be living in the member for Dawesville's
electorate and go to the airport for $5. Tell me somewhere else that will
happen! To make sure we can continue to support affordable public transport, we
need to build new rail lines.
Members
opposite broke election commitments, and they are proud of it. Look at them!
They sat there telling the people of Ellenbrook that they were going to
deliver a rail line, and they never did anything. When we won government, I expected
to find at least something on the Ellenbrook rail line. I went looking through
the cupboards to see what work they had done. Even though members opposite made
commitments in two elections to deliver the Ellenbrook rail line, what work did
they do? Nothing. We started from scratch. I was talking to the member for
Southern River yesterday about the Thornlie–Cockburn Link. Members
opposite made a commitment on the Thornlie–Cockburn Link. When we won,
I assumed they had planned something. Basically, a lot of the planning had not
been done, so we started from scratch. Yanchep is another example.
I am very proud of Metronet. I was
in a shop the other day. I was looking at the Pink Lady apples—my
favourite apple—and the shop assistant came up and said, ''You're
Rita, aren't you?'' I said that I was. He said, ''I live
in Byford, and you know what? That train
station is just near where I live.'' He is a Coles shop assistant who
stopped me to say how it will transform his life. I am so proud that for
generations to come there will be people moving across the suburbs in an
affordable way, getting opportunities that members opposite would deny them,
because they divide and they hate people living in the suburbs. As a government,
members opposite did nothing for them. They turned their back. We have a growth
of 94 000 people. How do we move them? All members opposite want to do is
divide.
I
say that we are providing affordability in not only the city, but also the
regions. Our capped air fares again are costing more than we said, but members
opposite do not care about that. They cost more than we said, but do members
know what? They are delivering actual outcomes because they are so popular. I will
go in to bat day in, day out for Western Australians who want affordable,
efficient ways to move around, to give them opportunities that members opposite
would deny them. Members opposite would leave them in their suburbs with fake
and false commitments every day. I was
there when we brought those railcars onto the track. There are people there who
without public transport would not be
able to participate in society. Members opposite can turn their back on them,
but I am not going to.
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.