❓ Question on Notice regarding cost blowouts for the Perth City Rail project. Minister avoids direct answers, emphasizing government commitment and criticizing opposition.
AnsweredQoN 1056Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer the minister to the leaked second report of the Perth City Rail Advisory Committee, which has endorsed the Government’s preferred William Street option only on the basis that the rail line should be sunk between the Narrows Bridge and William Street. (1) Will the minister now admit that the additional hundreds of metres of tunnel along the city foreshore and into the central business district will cost an additional $100 million or more? (2) Given the minister’s admission this week that any additional cost associated with the final recommendations of the Perth City Rail Advisory Committee had not been factored into last week’s revised cost estimate, will the minister also now admit that the project’s total budget will blow out by a further $100 million to around $1.5 billion? Ms MacTIERNAN
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of this question. I was beginning to think that our daily dose of Thomas the Tank Engine had terminated. The final report has not yet been received by the Government; I will therefore not speculate on its contents. However, I will happily provide a number of guarantees to members opposite and to the WA public. I will certainly guarantee that a Labor Government will deliver a fast, direct service to the people of the south west of this city. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: I will guarantee that, unlike the public transport philistines on the other side, we will develop the best public transport system in Australia. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: Members on the other side have long opposed our rail system. The Court Government No 1 ripped up the Perth-Fremantle rail line. The Court Government No 2, in eight years of office, did not deliver one centimetre of rail. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: They can continue to argue against our initiative to develop a fast, direct rail service in this State. We are very proud of this project and we will guarantee the people of this State that a Gallop Labor Government will deliver the best rail system in Australia.
(1) Will the minister now admit that the additional hundreds of metres of tunnel along the city foreshore and into the central business district will cost an additional $100 million or more? (2) Given the minister’s admission this week that any additional cost associated with the final recommendations of the Perth City Rail Advisory Committee had not been factored into last week’s revised cost estimate, will the minister also now admit that the project’s total budget will blow out by a further $100 million to around $1.5 billion? Ms MacTIERNAN replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. I was beginning to think that our daily dose of Thomas the Tank Engine had terminated. The final report has not yet been received by the Government; I will therefore not speculate on its contents. However, I will happily provide a number of guarantees to members opposite and to the WA public. I will certainly guarantee that a Labor Government will deliver a fast, direct service to the people of the south west of this city. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: I will guarantee that, unlike the public transport philistines on the other side, we will develop the best public transport system in Australia. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: Members on the other side have long opposed our rail system. The Court Government No 1 ripped up the Perth-Fremantle rail line. The Court Government No 2, in eight years of office, did not deliver one centimetre of rail. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: They can continue to argue against our initiative to develop a fast, direct rail service in this State. We are very proud of this project and we will guarantee the people of this State that a Gallop Labor Government will deliver the best rail system in Australia.
(2) Given the minister’s admission this week that any additional cost associated with the final recommendations of the Perth City Rail Advisory Committee had not been factored into last week’s revised cost estimate, will the minister also now admit that the project’s total budget will blow out by a further $100 million to around $1.5 billion? Ms MacTIERNAN replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. I was beginning to think that our daily dose of Thomas the Tank Engine had terminated. The final report has not yet been received by the Government; I will therefore not speculate on its contents. However, I will happily provide a number of guarantees to members opposite and to the WA public. I will certainly guarantee that a Labor Government will deliver a fast, direct service to the people of the south west of this city. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: I will guarantee that, unlike the public transport philistines on the other side, we will develop the best public transport system in Australia. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: Members on the other side have long opposed our rail system. The Court Government No 1 ripped up the Perth-Fremantle rail line. The Court Government No 2, in eight years of office, did not deliver one centimetre of rail. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: They can continue to argue against our initiative to develop a fast, direct rail service in this State. We are very proud of this project and we will guarantee the people of this State that a Gallop Labor Government will deliver the best rail system in Australia.
Ms MacTIERNAN replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. I was beginning to think that our daily dose of Thomas the Tank Engine had terminated. The final report has not yet been received by the Government; I will therefore not speculate on its contents. However, I will happily provide a number of guarantees to members opposite and to the WA public. I will certainly guarantee that a Labor Government will deliver a fast, direct service to the people of the south west of this city. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: I will guarantee that, unlike the public transport philistines on the other side, we will develop the best public transport system in Australia. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: Members on the other side have long opposed our rail system. The Court Government No 1 ripped up the Perth-Fremantle rail line. The Court Government No 2, in eight years of office, did not deliver one centimetre of rail. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: They can continue to argue against our initiative to develop a fast, direct rail service in this State. We are very proud of this project and we will guarantee the people of this State that a Gallop Labor Government will deliver the best rail system in Australia.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. I was beginning to think that our daily dose of Thomas the Tank Engine had terminated. The final report has not yet been received by the Government; I will therefore not speculate on its contents. However, I will happily provide a number of guarantees to members opposite and to the WA public. I will certainly guarantee that a Labor Government will deliver a fast, direct service to the people of the south west of this city. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: I will guarantee that, unlike the public transport philistines on the other side, we will develop the best public transport system in Australia. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: Members on the other side have long opposed our rail system. The Court Government No 1 ripped up the Perth-Fremantle rail line. The Court Government No 2, in eight years of office, did not deliver one centimetre of rail. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: They can continue to argue against our initiative to develop a fast, direct rail service in this State. We are very proud of this project and we will guarantee the people of this State that a Gallop Labor Government will deliver the best rail system in Australia.
The final report has not yet been received by the Government; I will therefore not speculate on its contents. However, I will happily provide a number of guarantees to members opposite and to the WA public. I will certainly guarantee that a Labor Government will deliver a fast, direct service to the people of the south west of this city. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: I will guarantee that, unlike the public transport philistines on the other side, we will develop the best public transport system in Australia. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: Members on the other side have long opposed our rail system. The Court Government No 1 ripped up the Perth-Fremantle rail line. The Court Government No 2, in eight years of office, did not deliver one centimetre of rail. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: They can continue to argue against our initiative to develop a fast, direct rail service in this State. We are very proud of this project and we will guarantee the people of this State that a Gallop Labor Government will deliver the best rail system in Australia.
Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: I will guarantee that, unlike the public transport philistines on the other side, we will develop the best public transport system in Australia. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: Members on the other side have long opposed our rail system. The Court Government No 1 ripped up the Perth-Fremantle rail line. The Court Government No 2, in eight years of office, did not deliver one centimetre of rail. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: They can continue to argue against our initiative to develop a fast, direct rail service in this State. We are very proud of this project and we will guarantee the people of this State that a Gallop Labor Government will deliver the best rail system in Australia.
Ms MacTIERNAN: I will guarantee that, unlike the public transport philistines on the other side, we will develop the best public transport system in Australia. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: Members on the other side have long opposed our rail system. The Court Government No 1 ripped up the Perth-Fremantle rail line. The Court Government No 2, in eight years of office, did not deliver one centimetre of rail. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: They can continue to argue against our initiative to develop a fast, direct rail service in this State. We are very proud of this project and we will guarantee the people of this State that a Gallop Labor Government will deliver the best rail system in Australia.
Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: Members on the other side have long opposed our rail system. The Court Government No 1 ripped up the Perth-Fremantle rail line. The Court Government No 2, in eight years of office, did not deliver one centimetre of rail. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: They can continue to argue against our initiative to develop a fast, direct rail service in this State. We are very proud of this project and we will guarantee the people of this State that a Gallop Labor Government will deliver the best rail system in Australia.
Ms MacTIERNAN: Members on the other side have long opposed our rail system. The Court Government No 1 ripped up the Perth-Fremantle rail line. The Court Government No 2, in eight years of office, did not deliver one centimetre of rail. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: They can continue to argue against our initiative to develop a fast, direct rail service in this State. We are very proud of this project and we will guarantee the people of this State that a Gallop Labor Government will deliver the best rail system in Australia.
Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: They can continue to argue against our initiative to develop a fast, direct rail service in this State. We are very proud of this project and we will guarantee the people of this State that a Gallop Labor Government will deliver the best rail system in Australia.
Ms MacTIERNAN: They can continue to argue against our initiative to develop a fast, direct rail service in this State. We are very proud of this project and we will guarantee the people of this State that a Gallop Labor Government will deliver the best rail system in Australia.
(1) Will the minister now admit that the additional hundreds of metres of tunnel along the city foreshore and into the central business district will cost an additional $100 million or more? (2) Given the minister’s admission this week that any additional cost associated with the final recommendations of the Perth City Rail Advisory Committee had not been factored into last week’s revised cost estimate, will the minister also now admit that the project’s total budget will blow out by a further $100 million to around $1.5 billion? Ms MacTIERNAN replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. I was beginning to think that our daily dose of Thomas the Tank Engine had terminated. The final report has not yet been received by the Government; I will therefore not speculate on its contents. However, I will happily provide a number of guarantees to members opposite and to the WA public. I will certainly guarantee that a Labor Government will deliver a fast, direct service to the people of the south west of this city. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: I will guarantee that, unlike the public transport philistines on the other side, we will develop the best public transport system in Australia. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: Members on the other side have long opposed our rail system. The Court Government No 1 ripped up the Perth-Fremantle rail line. The Court Government No 2, in eight years of office, did not deliver one centimetre of rail. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: They can continue to argue against our initiative to develop a fast, direct rail service in this State. We are very proud of this project and we will guarantee the people of this State that a Gallop Labor Government will deliver the best rail system in Australia.
(2) Given the minister’s admission this week that any additional cost associated with the final recommendations of the Perth City Rail Advisory Committee had not been factored into last week’s revised cost estimate, will the minister also now admit that the project’s total budget will blow out by a further $100 million to around $1.5 billion? Ms MacTIERNAN replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. I was beginning to think that our daily dose of Thomas the Tank Engine had terminated. The final report has not yet been received by the Government; I will therefore not speculate on its contents. However, I will happily provide a number of guarantees to members opposite and to the WA public. I will certainly guarantee that a Labor Government will deliver a fast, direct service to the people of the south west of this city. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: I will guarantee that, unlike the public transport philistines on the other side, we will develop the best public transport system in Australia. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: Members on the other side have long opposed our rail system. The Court Government No 1 ripped up the Perth-Fremantle rail line. The Court Government No 2, in eight years of office, did not deliver one centimetre of rail. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: They can continue to argue against our initiative to develop a fast, direct rail service in this State. We are very proud of this project and we will guarantee the people of this State that a Gallop Labor Government will deliver the best rail system in Australia.
Ms MacTIERNAN replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. I was beginning to think that our daily dose of Thomas the Tank Engine had terminated. The final report has not yet been received by the Government; I will therefore not speculate on its contents. However, I will happily provide a number of guarantees to members opposite and to the WA public. I will certainly guarantee that a Labor Government will deliver a fast, direct service to the people of the south west of this city. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: I will guarantee that, unlike the public transport philistines on the other side, we will develop the best public transport system in Australia. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: Members on the other side have long opposed our rail system. The Court Government No 1 ripped up the Perth-Fremantle rail line. The Court Government No 2, in eight years of office, did not deliver one centimetre of rail. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: They can continue to argue against our initiative to develop a fast, direct rail service in this State. We are very proud of this project and we will guarantee the people of this State that a Gallop Labor Government will deliver the best rail system in Australia.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. I was beginning to think that our daily dose of Thomas the Tank Engine had terminated. The final report has not yet been received by the Government; I will therefore not speculate on its contents. However, I will happily provide a number of guarantees to members opposite and to the WA public. I will certainly guarantee that a Labor Government will deliver a fast, direct service to the people of the south west of this city. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: I will guarantee that, unlike the public transport philistines on the other side, we will develop the best public transport system in Australia. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: Members on the other side have long opposed our rail system. The Court Government No 1 ripped up the Perth-Fremantle rail line. The Court Government No 2, in eight years of office, did not deliver one centimetre of rail. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: They can continue to argue against our initiative to develop a fast, direct rail service in this State. We are very proud of this project and we will guarantee the people of this State that a Gallop Labor Government will deliver the best rail system in Australia.
The final report has not yet been received by the Government; I will therefore not speculate on its contents. However, I will happily provide a number of guarantees to members opposite and to the WA public. I will certainly guarantee that a Labor Government will deliver a fast, direct service to the people of the south west of this city. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: I will guarantee that, unlike the public transport philistines on the other side, we will develop the best public transport system in Australia. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: Members on the other side have long opposed our rail system. The Court Government No 1 ripped up the Perth-Fremantle rail line. The Court Government No 2, in eight years of office, did not deliver one centimetre of rail. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: They can continue to argue against our initiative to develop a fast, direct rail service in this State. We are very proud of this project and we will guarantee the people of this State that a Gallop Labor Government will deliver the best rail system in Australia.
Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: I will guarantee that, unlike the public transport philistines on the other side, we will develop the best public transport system in Australia. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: Members on the other side have long opposed our rail system. The Court Government No 1 ripped up the Perth-Fremantle rail line. The Court Government No 2, in eight years of office, did not deliver one centimetre of rail. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: They can continue to argue against our initiative to develop a fast, direct rail service in this State. We are very proud of this project and we will guarantee the people of this State that a Gallop Labor Government will deliver the best rail system in Australia.
Ms MacTIERNAN: I will guarantee that, unlike the public transport philistines on the other side, we will develop the best public transport system in Australia. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: Members on the other side have long opposed our rail system. The Court Government No 1 ripped up the Perth-Fremantle rail line. The Court Government No 2, in eight years of office, did not deliver one centimetre of rail. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: They can continue to argue against our initiative to develop a fast, direct rail service in this State. We are very proud of this project and we will guarantee the people of this State that a Gallop Labor Government will deliver the best rail system in Australia.
Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: Members on the other side have long opposed our rail system. The Court Government No 1 ripped up the Perth-Fremantle rail line. The Court Government No 2, in eight years of office, did not deliver one centimetre of rail. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: They can continue to argue against our initiative to develop a fast, direct rail service in this State. We are very proud of this project and we will guarantee the people of this State that a Gallop Labor Government will deliver the best rail system in Australia.
Ms MacTIERNAN: Members on the other side have long opposed our rail system. The Court Government No 1 ripped up the Perth-Fremantle rail line. The Court Government No 2, in eight years of office, did not deliver one centimetre of rail. Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: They can continue to argue against our initiative to develop a fast, direct rail service in this State. We are very proud of this project and we will guarantee the people of this State that a Gallop Labor Government will deliver the best rail system in Australia.
Several members interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: They can continue to argue against our initiative to develop a fast, direct rail service in this State. We are very proud of this project and we will guarantee the people of this State that a Gallop Labor Government will deliver the best rail system in Australia.
Ms MacTIERNAN: They can continue to argue against our initiative to develop a fast, direct rail service in this State. We are very proud of this project and we will guarantee the people of this State that a Gallop Labor Government will deliver the best rail system in Australia.
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.