❓ Question regarding the progress of Metronet projects, specifically the Forrestfield-Airport Link, and how they are supporting local jobs during WA's economic recovery from COVID-19. The Minister's answer focuses on the Forrestfield-Airport Link and then digresses into a political attack.
AnsweredQoN 873Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
METRONET PROJECTS — JOBS
873. MR
S.J. PRICE to the Minister for Transport:
I
refer to the work underway by the McGowan Labor government to support local
jobs and drive more economic activity through the delivery of Metronet. Can the
minister outline to the house how WA's success in responding to
COVID-19 has allowed work to continue
on the Forrestfield–Airport Link project, and can the minister update
the house on how this and other major Metronet projects are continuing to
support local jobs during WA's economic recovery?
873. MR
S.J. PRICE to the Minister for Transport:
I
refer to the work underway by the McGowan Labor government to support local
jobs and drive more economic activity through the delivery of Metronet. Can the
minister outline to the house how WA's success in responding to
COVID-19 has allowed work to continue
on the Forrestfield–Airport Link project, and can the minister update
the house on how this and other major Metronet projects are continuing to
support local jobs during WA's economic recovery?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Forrestfield
for that question. Of course, today I was out at Airport Central station with
the Premier, the member for Forrestfield and
the member for Belmont. Work on the $1.8 billion Forrestfield–Airport
Link is very much steaming ahead,
with almost four kilometres of track having been laid. The main atrium at
Airport Central is taking shape. What
is so pleasing about this is that when we go up to the workers and ask, ''How
are things going ?'', they say, ''There's so much
work on!'' They thank the government for all the commitments it has made
to provide record infrastructure, whether it
is road, rail or cycling investment or port upgrades. The station itself is
magnificent . I thank all the team who
are out there building it. Of course, since tunnelling was completed in April,
we have gone through to lay the track. As I said, four kilometres of
track has been laid. There are 100 workers laying the track and 600 workers
currently on that project. Work is well underway on that project and, of
course, work is underway on so many projects
around the state. Projects like the Byford rail extension are being brought
forward to make s ure we continue to deliver our commitments and we
continue to deliver jobs. Of course, there are those on the other side who have
never supported Metronet and in particular do not support projects like the
Byford rail extension and the Morley–Ellenbrook extension. While we are
talking about Darling Range, I was out in Darling Range over the past week
picking the cherries in my mum's orchard when there was a phone call on
one of the family's phones. It was interesting. It was a poll, members.
Point of Order
Mr Z.R.F.
KIRKUP : Point of order.
The SPEAKER : Members, please!
Yes.
Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP : I understand
that there was a question asked of the minister in relation to transport
projects. I do not believe any poll was mentioned. I am seeking a point of
order as to the relevance of the minister's response to this question.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, excuse
me! Have you made a decision? He was having a go. It is not a point of order.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Just to
confirm, the question asked about other Metronet projects, and that includes
Byford. The Byford rail extension was mentioned in the poll. One of the polling
questions, which was quite surprising, asked about the leaders of the parties.
It was whether, generally speaking, the person being polled was satisfied or dissatisfied with the performance of Liza Harvey
as Western Australia's opposition leader. Then it kept going. Still thinking about the opposition leader, Liza Harvey, the question was whether —
Point of Order
Mr Z.R.F.
KIRKUP : Mr Speaker, I appreciate your previous ruling, but given
that the minister is continuing her contribution
with an answer that does not seem relevant to the question asked of her, I ask
you to draw the minister's attention to the relevancy of the
question that was asked.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members to my
right! No, but I am sure the minister will get back to the question.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Sure. The
next question asked whether someone else within the Liberal Party would do a better job as the WA opposition leader. The good
thing about this is that it is such a leading question. The poll asked the person
to press 1 for, yes, someone else will do a better job than Liza Harvey. If the
person running the poll did not want the answer to be ''yes'',
they would have probably put it as four or five in the list of answers, but it
was ''press 1''!
The SPEAKER : Minister, that
is enough.
Ms
R. SAFFIOTI : I do not know what
is happening in Darling Range, but I note that the member for Darling Range said this morning that Ms Harvey has her
support at the moment, but if the polling suggests that a change of leader
would help the party, that is something they would need to discuss.
Members, with friends like that, who needs enemies?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Perth, I call you to order for the first time. Members!
for that question. Of course, today I was out at Airport Central station with
the Premier, the member for Forrestfield and
the member for Belmont. Work on the $1.8 billion Forrestfield–Airport
Link is very much steaming ahead,
with almost four kilometres of track having been laid. The main atrium at
Airport Central is taking shape. What
is so pleasing about this is that when we go up to the workers and ask, ''How
are things going ?'', they say, ''There's so much
work on!'' They thank the government for all the commitments it has made
to provide record infrastructure, whether it
is road, rail or cycling investment or port upgrades. The station itself is
magnificent . I thank all the team who
are out there building it. Of course, since tunnelling was completed in April,
we have gone through to lay the track. As I said, four kilometres of
track has been laid. There are 100 workers laying the track and 600 workers
currently on that project. Work is well underway on that project and, of
course, work is underway on so many projects
around the state. Projects like the Byford rail extension are being brought
forward to make s ure we continue to deliver our commitments and we
continue to deliver jobs. Of course, there are those on the other side who have
never supported Metronet and in particular do not support projects like the
Byford rail extension and the Morley–Ellenbrook extension. While we are
talking about Darling Range, I was out in Darling Range over the past week
picking the cherries in my mum's orchard when there was a phone call on
one of the family's phones. It was interesting. It was a poll, members.
Point of Order
Mr Z.R.F.
KIRKUP : Point of order.
The SPEAKER : Members, please!
Yes.
Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP : I understand
that there was a question asked of the minister in relation to transport
projects. I do not believe any poll was mentioned. I am seeking a point of
order as to the relevance of the minister's response to this question.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, excuse
me! Have you made a decision? He was having a go. It is not a point of order.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Just to
confirm, the question asked about other Metronet projects, and that includes
Byford. The Byford rail extension was mentioned in the poll. One of the polling
questions, which was quite surprising, asked about the leaders of the parties.
It was whether, generally speaking, the person being polled was satisfied or dissatisfied with the performance of Liza Harvey
as Western Australia's opposition leader. Then it kept going. Still thinking about the opposition leader, Liza Harvey, the question was whether —
Point of Order
Mr Z.R.F.
KIRKUP : Mr Speaker, I appreciate your previous ruling, but given
that the minister is continuing her contribution
with an answer that does not seem relevant to the question asked of her, I ask
you to draw the minister's attention to the relevancy of the
question that was asked.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members to my
right! No, but I am sure the minister will get back to the question.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Sure. The
next question asked whether someone else within the Liberal Party would do a better job as the WA opposition leader. The good
thing about this is that it is such a leading question. The poll asked the person
to press 1 for, yes, someone else will do a better job than Liza Harvey. If the
person running the poll did not want the answer to be ''yes'',
they would have probably put it as four or five in the list of answers, but it
was ''press 1''!
The SPEAKER : Minister, that
is enough.
Ms
R. SAFFIOTI : I do not know what
is happening in Darling Range, but I note that the member for Darling Range said this morning that Ms Harvey has her
support at the moment, but if the polling suggests that a change of leader
would help the party, that is something they would need to discuss.
Members, with friends like that, who needs enemies?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Perth, I call you to order for the first time. Members!
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