❓ Question regarding the progress of the Thornlie-Cockburn Link Metronet project, its impact on WA jobs and businesses, and awareness of opposition to the project. The Minister's answer highlights project progress, job creation, and criticizes the opposition's lack of policy.
AnsweredQoN 975Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
THORNLIE–COCKBURN
LINK
975. Mr
Y. MUBARAKAI to the Minister for Transport:
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's efforts to keep the Western Australian
economy strong and WA workers safe in their jobs through its significant
investment in Metronet.
(1) Can the
minister please update the house on the work underway to deliver the Thornlie–Cockburn
Link, including the Ranford train station, and how this investment is
supporting WA jobs and WA businesses?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house whether she is aware of anyone seeking to undermine
this investment in job-creating infrastructure?
LINK
975. Mr
Y. MUBARAKAI to the Minister for Transport:
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's efforts to keep the Western Australian
economy strong and WA workers safe in their jobs through its significant
investment in Metronet.
(1) Can the
minister please update the house on the work underway to deliver the Thornlie–Cockburn
Link, including the Ranford train station, and how this investment is
supporting WA jobs and WA businesses?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house whether she is aware of anyone seeking to undermine
this investment in job-creating infrastructure?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for Jandakot for that question and, of course, his commitment,
together with that of the members for Southern River and Thornlie, to the
Thornlie–Cockburn Link.
We were out there today with the
Premier and the relevant members looking at a significant milestone of the Thornlie–Cockburn Link. Currently,
over 500 workers are onsite there and major work started today on the
new Ranford Road Bridge. Like many projects, this project is giving Western Australians
and Western Australian companies confidence. Today we met Elly, who was living
and working on projects over east. She has
come back to WA because of Metronet. She has come back to WA to be with her
family and to work on Metronet projects. She is studying a certificate
II in rail engineering and has come back to WA because we have a pipeline of
investments. Whichever site we go to, we see Western Australians working and we
see those Western Australians who had left coming back to WA because of the
infrastructure certainty we are giving them—a pipeline of work and
something that we are very proud of.
As I said, today, the Premier gave
the go-ahead to start piling works at the site, with a 120-tonne piling rig
commencing work at the Ranford Road station site. As part of those works, 156
holes, 18 metres deep, will be filled with concrete.
Mr R.H. Cook interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Do not get
me started on concrete.
There will be a new eight-lane
Ranford Road Bridge, with six lanes for cars and another two lanes for buses.
It is absolutely incredible. We have also launched the infrastructure ready
program, which is about giving people the opportunity to change careers and get
into our civil construction—a massive program.
While we are getting on with the
job, what is the opposition doing? It is divided and in disarray. It is a mess,
with no shadow cabinet, no policies and no
experience. What does it have? It has a hashtag, a hat and a bus. That is what the opposition is presenting to the public of Western Australia. Did anyone see
that media conference yesterday? Many members would watch Veep . We saw
these two people emerge from a freshly painted bus to promise everything and say nothing. It was a train wreck
of an announcement: ''We're going to do stuff.'' What are
they going to do? ''We're going to do stuff and it will
be better than theirs.'' That is the extent of their commitment.
Point of Order
Mr P.A.
KATSAMBANIS : On relevance, the question was about Metronet. This has
nothing to do with Metronet.
The SPEAKER : There is no
point of order. In future, quote the standing order; do not just say ''relevance'',
please.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : The question
referred to people trying to oppose Metronet. We know that the opposition
opposes Metronet. What have we learnt in the 11 days since the Leader of the
Opposition knew that he was going to become opposition leader? We know that he
knows a good spray painter, but that is about it, members! The opposition has
no policies. Members opposite had a major media conference with no policies,
apart from saying, ''We're going to do lots of stuff and it's
going to be better than theirs.'' Members will have to do better. We
look forward to every day until election day
so that we can compare the experience of this Premier, who is keeping WA safe
and strong, with that of the divided rabble on the other side, whose focus
during the first 11 days has been spray-painting a bus and embroidering some
hats.
thank the member for Jandakot for that question and, of course, his commitment,
together with that of the members for Southern River and Thornlie, to the
Thornlie–Cockburn Link.
We were out there today with the
Premier and the relevant members looking at a significant milestone of the Thornlie–Cockburn Link. Currently,
over 500 workers are onsite there and major work started today on the
new Ranford Road Bridge. Like many projects, this project is giving Western Australians
and Western Australian companies confidence. Today we met Elly, who was living
and working on projects over east. She has
come back to WA because of Metronet. She has come back to WA to be with her
family and to work on Metronet projects. She is studying a certificate
II in rail engineering and has come back to WA because we have a pipeline of
investments. Whichever site we go to, we see Western Australians working and we
see those Western Australians who had left coming back to WA because of the
infrastructure certainty we are giving them—a pipeline of work and
something that we are very proud of.
As I said, today, the Premier gave
the go-ahead to start piling works at the site, with a 120-tonne piling rig
commencing work at the Ranford Road station site. As part of those works, 156
holes, 18 metres deep, will be filled with concrete.
Mr R.H. Cook interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Do not get
me started on concrete.
There will be a new eight-lane
Ranford Road Bridge, with six lanes for cars and another two lanes for buses.
It is absolutely incredible. We have also launched the infrastructure ready
program, which is about giving people the opportunity to change careers and get
into our civil construction—a massive program.
While we are getting on with the
job, what is the opposition doing? It is divided and in disarray. It is a mess,
with no shadow cabinet, no policies and no
experience. What does it have? It has a hashtag, a hat and a bus. That is what the opposition is presenting to the public of Western Australia. Did anyone see
that media conference yesterday? Many members would watch Veep . We saw
these two people emerge from a freshly painted bus to promise everything and say nothing. It was a train wreck
of an announcement: ''We're going to do stuff.'' What are
they going to do? ''We're going to do stuff and it will
be better than theirs.'' That is the extent of their commitment.
Point of Order
Mr P.A.
KATSAMBANIS : On relevance, the question was about Metronet. This has
nothing to do with Metronet.
The SPEAKER : There is no
point of order. In future, quote the standing order; do not just say ''relevance'',
please.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : The question
referred to people trying to oppose Metronet. We know that the opposition
opposes Metronet. What have we learnt in the 11 days since the Leader of the
Opposition knew that he was going to become opposition leader? We know that he
knows a good spray painter, but that is about it, members! The opposition has
no policies. Members opposite had a major media conference with no policies,
apart from saying, ''We're going to do lots of stuff and it's
going to be better than theirs.'' Members will have to do better. We
look forward to every day until election day
so that we can compare the experience of this Premier, who is keeping WA safe
and strong, with that of the divided rabble on the other side, whose focus
during the first 11 days has been spray-painting a bus and embroidering some
hats.
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