❓ Question regarding potential budget increases for the southern rail link project in Perth, with the Minister responding defensively and accusing the opposition of misrepresenting budget information and intellectual laziness.
AnsweredQoN 1027Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Given that the Perth City Rail Advisory Committee is due to make its final recommendation to the minister for the preferred route of the southern rail link into the city tomorrow, will the minister confirm that the original $1.217 billion budget, which the Labor Government announced last Thursday has already been increased to $1.403 billion, will have to again be revised upwards once the city route has been determined? Ms MacTIERNAN
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question because it gives me an opportunity to address some of the insanities the member has been spruiking since the budget was handed down. I will mention a few points of clarification for the member. The member put out a media statement claiming that we had underestimated the project by $100 million because we had not included the Clarkson line in the costings. I refer the member to page 892 of the budget papers, which sets out for all members of Parliament precisely what is included in the Perth urban rail development project. The northern suburbs extension has always been included in the PURD project. That is set out in the budget papers in black and white. I understand that the job of an opposition party is to always critically assess the work of the Government. However, this Opposition should not be so intellectually lazy as to put out a media statement without bothering to read the budget papers, in which the relevant information is set out chapter and verse. The member put out an insane press release. This behaviour was supported by the tripe spoken by the Leader of the Opposition a few minutes ago. When the Leader of the Opposition quoted Hansard , he failed to acknowledge two things: first, that I had made it very clear that the PURD budget would be affected by a consumer price index escalation. Interestingly, he claimed that the CPI escalation should be three per cent. We could have used the figure of three per cent, but we have gone with a smaller increase. By 2006-07, it will have been increased from the 1998-99 figure by between 1.8 per cent and 2.5 per cent. Ms Hodson-Thomas interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: I am taking the member through this because the Opposition obviously does not understand. It is saying that it agrees that the budget must be escalated from the 1998-99 figure, but it is also saying that it does not accept the result. I am happy to give the member a full explanation of how that indexation works, as she is obviously having difficulty - Ms Hodson-Thomas: Has it been factored into the figures? Ms MacTIERNAN: Has the escalation been factored in? The escalation is $168 million - Ms Hodson-Thomas: No, you did not listen to my question. I asked whether the city route has been factored into it. Ms MacTIERNAN: It is true that the Government is to receive a report from the Perth City Rail Advisory Committee. Ms Hodson-Thomas: So it hasn’t been factored in. Ms MacTIERNAN: We will get a report. Obviously, if we do not have the report, we do not know what is in it. When that report is provided, which hopefully will be this week, we will be able to come into the House and tell members opposite what is in that report.
Ms MacTIERNAN replied: I thank the member for the question because it gives me an opportunity to address some of the insanities the member has been spruiking since the budget was handed down. I will mention a few points of clarification for the member. The member put out a media statement claiming that we had underestimated the project by $100 million because we had not included the Clarkson line in the costings. I refer the member to page 892 of the budget papers, which sets out for all members of Parliament precisely what is included in the Perth urban rail development project. The northern suburbs extension has always been included in the PURD project. That is set out in the budget papers in black and white. I understand that the job of an opposition party is to always critically assess the work of the Government. However, this Opposition should not be so intellectually lazy as to put out a media statement without bothering to read the budget papers, in which the relevant information is set out chapter and verse. The member put out an insane press release. This behaviour was supported by the tripe spoken by the Leader of the Opposition a few minutes ago. When the Leader of the Opposition quoted Hansard , he failed to acknowledge two things: first, that I had made it very clear that the PURD budget would be affected by a consumer price index escalation. Interestingly, he claimed that the CPI escalation should be three per cent. We could have used the figure of three per cent, but we have gone with a smaller increase. By 2006-07, it will have been increased from the 1998-99 figure by between 1.8 per cent and 2.5 per cent. Ms Hodson-Thomas interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: I am taking the member through this because the Opposition obviously does not understand. It is saying that it agrees that the budget must be escalated from the 1998-99 figure, but it is also saying that it does not accept the result. I am happy to give the member a full explanation of how that indexation works, as she is obviously having difficulty - Ms Hodson-Thomas: Has it been factored into the figures? Ms MacTIERNAN: Has the escalation been factored in? The escalation is $168 million - Ms Hodson-Thomas: No, you did not listen to my question. I asked whether the city route has been factored into it. Ms MacTIERNAN: It is true that the Government is to receive a report from the Perth City Rail Advisory Committee. Ms Hodson-Thomas: So it hasn’t been factored in. Ms MacTIERNAN: We will get a report. Obviously, if we do not have the report, we do not know what is in it. When that report is provided, which hopefully will be this week, we will be able to come into the House and tell members opposite what is in that report.
I thank the member for the question because it gives me an opportunity to address some of the insanities the member has been spruiking since the budget was handed down. I will mention a few points of clarification for the member. The member put out a media statement claiming that we had underestimated the project by $100 million because we had not included the Clarkson line in the costings. I refer the member to page 892 of the budget papers, which sets out for all members of Parliament precisely what is included in the Perth urban rail development project. The northern suburbs extension has always been included in the PURD project. That is set out in the budget papers in black and white. I understand that the job of an opposition party is to always critically assess the work of the Government. However, this Opposition should not be so intellectually lazy as to put out a media statement without bothering to read the budget papers, in which the relevant information is set out chapter and verse. The member put out an insane press release. This behaviour was supported by the tripe spoken by the Leader of the Opposition a few minutes ago. When the Leader of the Opposition quoted Hansard , he failed to acknowledge two things: first, that I had made it very clear that the PURD budget would be affected by a consumer price index escalation. Interestingly, he claimed that the CPI escalation should be three per cent. We could have used the figure of three per cent, but we have gone with a smaller increase. By 2006-07, it will have been increased from the 1998-99 figure by between 1.8 per cent and 2.5 per cent. Ms Hodson-Thomas interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: I am taking the member through this because the Opposition obviously does not understand. It is saying that it agrees that the budget must be escalated from the 1998-99 figure, but it is also saying that it does not accept the result. I am happy to give the member a full explanation of how that indexation works, as she is obviously having difficulty - Ms Hodson-Thomas: Has it been factored into the figures? Ms MacTIERNAN: Has the escalation been factored in? The escalation is $168 million - Ms Hodson-Thomas: No, you did not listen to my question. I asked whether the city route has been factored into it. Ms MacTIERNAN: It is true that the Government is to receive a report from the Perth City Rail Advisory Committee. Ms Hodson-Thomas: So it hasn’t been factored in. Ms MacTIERNAN: We will get a report. Obviously, if we do not have the report, we do not know what is in it. When that report is provided, which hopefully will be this week, we will be able to come into the House and tell members opposite what is in that report.
The member put out an insane press release. This behaviour was supported by the tripe spoken by the Leader of the Opposition a few minutes ago. When the Leader of the Opposition quoted Hansard , he failed to acknowledge two things: first, that I had made it very clear that the PURD budget would be affected by a consumer price index escalation. Interestingly, he claimed that the CPI escalation should be three per cent. We could have used the figure of three per cent, but we have gone with a smaller increase. By 2006-07, it will have been increased from the 1998-99 figure by between 1.8 per cent and 2.5 per cent. Ms Hodson-Thomas interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: I am taking the member through this because the Opposition obviously does not understand. It is saying that it agrees that the budget must be escalated from the 1998-99 figure, but it is also saying that it does not accept the result. I am happy to give the member a full explanation of how that indexation works, as she is obviously having difficulty - Ms Hodson-Thomas: Has it been factored into the figures? Ms MacTIERNAN: Has the escalation been factored in? The escalation is $168 million - Ms Hodson-Thomas: No, you did not listen to my question. I asked whether the city route has been factored into it. Ms MacTIERNAN: It is true that the Government is to receive a report from the Perth City Rail Advisory Committee. Ms Hodson-Thomas: So it hasn’t been factored in. Ms MacTIERNAN: We will get a report. Obviously, if we do not have the report, we do not know what is in it. When that report is provided, which hopefully will be this week, we will be able to come into the House and tell members opposite what is in that report.
Ms Hodson-Thomas interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: I am taking the member through this because the Opposition obviously does not understand. It is saying that it agrees that the budget must be escalated from the 1998-99 figure, but it is also saying that it does not accept the result. I am happy to give the member a full explanation of how that indexation works, as she is obviously having difficulty - Ms Hodson-Thomas: Has it been factored into the figures? Ms MacTIERNAN: Has the escalation been factored in? The escalation is $168 million - Ms Hodson-Thomas: No, you did not listen to my question. I asked whether the city route has been factored into it. Ms MacTIERNAN: It is true that the Government is to receive a report from the Perth City Rail Advisory Committee. Ms Hodson-Thomas: So it hasn’t been factored in. Ms MacTIERNAN: We will get a report. Obviously, if we do not have the report, we do not know what is in it. When that report is provided, which hopefully will be this week, we will be able to come into the House and tell members opposite what is in that report.
Ms MacTIERNAN: I am taking the member through this because the Opposition obviously does not understand. It is saying that it agrees that the budget must be escalated from the 1998-99 figure, but it is also saying that it does not accept the result. I am happy to give the member a full explanation of how that indexation works, as she is obviously having difficulty - Ms Hodson-Thomas: Has it been factored into the figures? Ms MacTIERNAN: Has the escalation been factored in? The escalation is $168 million - Ms Hodson-Thomas: No, you did not listen to my question. I asked whether the city route has been factored into it. Ms MacTIERNAN: It is true that the Government is to receive a report from the Perth City Rail Advisory Committee. Ms Hodson-Thomas: So it hasn’t been factored in. Ms MacTIERNAN: We will get a report. Obviously, if we do not have the report, we do not know what is in it. When that report is provided, which hopefully will be this week, we will be able to come into the House and tell members opposite what is in that report.
Ms Hodson-Thomas: Has it been factored into the figures? Ms MacTIERNAN: Has the escalation been factored in? The escalation is $168 million - Ms Hodson-Thomas: No, you did not listen to my question. I asked whether the city route has been factored into it. Ms MacTIERNAN: It is true that the Government is to receive a report from the Perth City Rail Advisory Committee. Ms Hodson-Thomas: So it hasn’t been factored in. Ms MacTIERNAN: We will get a report. Obviously, if we do not have the report, we do not know what is in it. When that report is provided, which hopefully will be this week, we will be able to come into the House and tell members opposite what is in that report.
Ms MacTIERNAN: Has the escalation been factored in? The escalation is $168 million - Ms Hodson-Thomas: No, you did not listen to my question. I asked whether the city route has been factored into it. Ms MacTIERNAN: It is true that the Government is to receive a report from the Perth City Rail Advisory Committee. Ms Hodson-Thomas: So it hasn’t been factored in. Ms MacTIERNAN: We will get a report. Obviously, if we do not have the report, we do not know what is in it. When that report is provided, which hopefully will be this week, we will be able to come into the House and tell members opposite what is in that report.
Ms Hodson-Thomas: No, you did not listen to my question. I asked whether the city route has been factored into it. Ms MacTIERNAN: It is true that the Government is to receive a report from the Perth City Rail Advisory Committee. Ms Hodson-Thomas: So it hasn’t been factored in. Ms MacTIERNAN: We will get a report. Obviously, if we do not have the report, we do not know what is in it. When that report is provided, which hopefully will be this week, we will be able to come into the House and tell members opposite what is in that report.
Ms MacTIERNAN: It is true that the Government is to receive a report from the Perth City Rail Advisory Committee. Ms Hodson-Thomas: So it hasn’t been factored in. Ms MacTIERNAN: We will get a report. Obviously, if we do not have the report, we do not know what is in it. When that report is provided, which hopefully will be this week, we will be able to come into the House and tell members opposite what is in that report.
Ms Hodson-Thomas: So it hasn’t been factored in. Ms MacTIERNAN: We will get a report. Obviously, if we do not have the report, we do not know what is in it. When that report is provided, which hopefully will be this week, we will be able to come into the House and tell members opposite what is in that report.
Ms MacTIERNAN: We will get a report. Obviously, if we do not have the report, we do not know what is in it. When that report is provided, which hopefully will be this week, we will be able to come into the House and tell members opposite what is in that report.
Ms MacTIERNAN replied: I thank the member for the question because it gives me an opportunity to address some of the insanities the member has been spruiking since the budget was handed down. I will mention a few points of clarification for the member. The member put out a media statement claiming that we had underestimated the project by $100 million because we had not included the Clarkson line in the costings. I refer the member to page 892 of the budget papers, which sets out for all members of Parliament precisely what is included in the Perth urban rail development project. The northern suburbs extension has always been included in the PURD project. That is set out in the budget papers in black and white. I understand that the job of an opposition party is to always critically assess the work of the Government. However, this Opposition should not be so intellectually lazy as to put out a media statement without bothering to read the budget papers, in which the relevant information is set out chapter and verse. The member put out an insane press release. This behaviour was supported by the tripe spoken by the Leader of the Opposition a few minutes ago. When the Leader of the Opposition quoted Hansard , he failed to acknowledge two things: first, that I had made it very clear that the PURD budget would be affected by a consumer price index escalation. Interestingly, he claimed that the CPI escalation should be three per cent. We could have used the figure of three per cent, but we have gone with a smaller increase. By 2006-07, it will have been increased from the 1998-99 figure by between 1.8 per cent and 2.5 per cent. Ms Hodson-Thomas interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: I am taking the member through this because the Opposition obviously does not understand. It is saying that it agrees that the budget must be escalated from the 1998-99 figure, but it is also saying that it does not accept the result. I am happy to give the member a full explanation of how that indexation works, as she is obviously having difficulty - Ms Hodson-Thomas: Has it been factored into the figures? Ms MacTIERNAN: Has the escalation been factored in? The escalation is $168 million - Ms Hodson-Thomas: No, you did not listen to my question. I asked whether the city route has been factored into it. Ms MacTIERNAN: It is true that the Government is to receive a report from the Perth City Rail Advisory Committee. Ms Hodson-Thomas: So it hasn’t been factored in. Ms MacTIERNAN: We will get a report. Obviously, if we do not have the report, we do not know what is in it. When that report is provided, which hopefully will be this week, we will be able to come into the House and tell members opposite what is in that report.
I thank the member for the question because it gives me an opportunity to address some of the insanities the member has been spruiking since the budget was handed down. I will mention a few points of clarification for the member. The member put out a media statement claiming that we had underestimated the project by $100 million because we had not included the Clarkson line in the costings. I refer the member to page 892 of the budget papers, which sets out for all members of Parliament precisely what is included in the Perth urban rail development project. The northern suburbs extension has always been included in the PURD project. That is set out in the budget papers in black and white. I understand that the job of an opposition party is to always critically assess the work of the Government. However, this Opposition should not be so intellectually lazy as to put out a media statement without bothering to read the budget papers, in which the relevant information is set out chapter and verse. The member put out an insane press release. This behaviour was supported by the tripe spoken by the Leader of the Opposition a few minutes ago. When the Leader of the Opposition quoted Hansard , he failed to acknowledge two things: first, that I had made it very clear that the PURD budget would be affected by a consumer price index escalation. Interestingly, he claimed that the CPI escalation should be three per cent. We could have used the figure of three per cent, but we have gone with a smaller increase. By 2006-07, it will have been increased from the 1998-99 figure by between 1.8 per cent and 2.5 per cent. Ms Hodson-Thomas interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: I am taking the member through this because the Opposition obviously does not understand. It is saying that it agrees that the budget must be escalated from the 1998-99 figure, but it is also saying that it does not accept the result. I am happy to give the member a full explanation of how that indexation works, as she is obviously having difficulty - Ms Hodson-Thomas: Has it been factored into the figures? Ms MacTIERNAN: Has the escalation been factored in? The escalation is $168 million - Ms Hodson-Thomas: No, you did not listen to my question. I asked whether the city route has been factored into it. Ms MacTIERNAN: It is true that the Government is to receive a report from the Perth City Rail Advisory Committee. Ms Hodson-Thomas: So it hasn’t been factored in. Ms MacTIERNAN: We will get a report. Obviously, if we do not have the report, we do not know what is in it. When that report is provided, which hopefully will be this week, we will be able to come into the House and tell members opposite what is in that report.
The member put out an insane press release. This behaviour was supported by the tripe spoken by the Leader of the Opposition a few minutes ago. When the Leader of the Opposition quoted Hansard , he failed to acknowledge two things: first, that I had made it very clear that the PURD budget would be affected by a consumer price index escalation. Interestingly, he claimed that the CPI escalation should be three per cent. We could have used the figure of three per cent, but we have gone with a smaller increase. By 2006-07, it will have been increased from the 1998-99 figure by between 1.8 per cent and 2.5 per cent. Ms Hodson-Thomas interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: I am taking the member through this because the Opposition obviously does not understand. It is saying that it agrees that the budget must be escalated from the 1998-99 figure, but it is also saying that it does not accept the result. I am happy to give the member a full explanation of how that indexation works, as she is obviously having difficulty - Ms Hodson-Thomas: Has it been factored into the figures? Ms MacTIERNAN: Has the escalation been factored in? The escalation is $168 million - Ms Hodson-Thomas: No, you did not listen to my question. I asked whether the city route has been factored into it. Ms MacTIERNAN: It is true that the Government is to receive a report from the Perth City Rail Advisory Committee. Ms Hodson-Thomas: So it hasn’t been factored in. Ms MacTIERNAN: We will get a report. Obviously, if we do not have the report, we do not know what is in it. When that report is provided, which hopefully will be this week, we will be able to come into the House and tell members opposite what is in that report.
Ms Hodson-Thomas interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: I am taking the member through this because the Opposition obviously does not understand. It is saying that it agrees that the budget must be escalated from the 1998-99 figure, but it is also saying that it does not accept the result. I am happy to give the member a full explanation of how that indexation works, as she is obviously having difficulty - Ms Hodson-Thomas: Has it been factored into the figures? Ms MacTIERNAN: Has the escalation been factored in? The escalation is $168 million - Ms Hodson-Thomas: No, you did not listen to my question. I asked whether the city route has been factored into it. Ms MacTIERNAN: It is true that the Government is to receive a report from the Perth City Rail Advisory Committee. Ms Hodson-Thomas: So it hasn’t been factored in. Ms MacTIERNAN: We will get a report. Obviously, if we do not have the report, we do not know what is in it. When that report is provided, which hopefully will be this week, we will be able to come into the House and tell members opposite what is in that report.
Ms MacTIERNAN: I am taking the member through this because the Opposition obviously does not understand. It is saying that it agrees that the budget must be escalated from the 1998-99 figure, but it is also saying that it does not accept the result. I am happy to give the member a full explanation of how that indexation works, as she is obviously having difficulty - Ms Hodson-Thomas: Has it been factored into the figures? Ms MacTIERNAN: Has the escalation been factored in? The escalation is $168 million - Ms Hodson-Thomas: No, you did not listen to my question. I asked whether the city route has been factored into it. Ms MacTIERNAN: It is true that the Government is to receive a report from the Perth City Rail Advisory Committee. Ms Hodson-Thomas: So it hasn’t been factored in. Ms MacTIERNAN: We will get a report. Obviously, if we do not have the report, we do not know what is in it. When that report is provided, which hopefully will be this week, we will be able to come into the House and tell members opposite what is in that report.
Ms Hodson-Thomas: Has it been factored into the figures? Ms MacTIERNAN: Has the escalation been factored in? The escalation is $168 million - Ms Hodson-Thomas: No, you did not listen to my question. I asked whether the city route has been factored into it. Ms MacTIERNAN: It is true that the Government is to receive a report from the Perth City Rail Advisory Committee. Ms Hodson-Thomas: So it hasn’t been factored in. Ms MacTIERNAN: We will get a report. Obviously, if we do not have the report, we do not know what is in it. When that report is provided, which hopefully will be this week, we will be able to come into the House and tell members opposite what is in that report.
Ms MacTIERNAN: Has the escalation been factored in? The escalation is $168 million - Ms Hodson-Thomas: No, you did not listen to my question. I asked whether the city route has been factored into it. Ms MacTIERNAN: It is true that the Government is to receive a report from the Perth City Rail Advisory Committee. Ms Hodson-Thomas: So it hasn’t been factored in. Ms MacTIERNAN: We will get a report. Obviously, if we do not have the report, we do not know what is in it. When that report is provided, which hopefully will be this week, we will be able to come into the House and tell members opposite what is in that report.
Ms Hodson-Thomas: No, you did not listen to my question. I asked whether the city route has been factored into it. Ms MacTIERNAN: It is true that the Government is to receive a report from the Perth City Rail Advisory Committee. Ms Hodson-Thomas: So it hasn’t been factored in. Ms MacTIERNAN: We will get a report. Obviously, if we do not have the report, we do not know what is in it. When that report is provided, which hopefully will be this week, we will be able to come into the House and tell members opposite what is in that report.
Ms MacTIERNAN: It is true that the Government is to receive a report from the Perth City Rail Advisory Committee. Ms Hodson-Thomas: So it hasn’t been factored in. Ms MacTIERNAN: We will get a report. Obviously, if we do not have the report, we do not know what is in it. When that report is provided, which hopefully will be this week, we will be able to come into the House and tell members opposite what is in that report.
Ms Hodson-Thomas: So it hasn’t been factored in. Ms MacTIERNAN: We will get a report. Obviously, if we do not have the report, we do not know what is in it. When that report is provided, which hopefully will be this week, we will be able to come into the House and tell members opposite what is in that report.
Ms MacTIERNAN: We will get a report. Obviously, if we do not have the report, we do not know what is in it. When that report is provided, which hopefully will be this week, we will be able to come into the House and tell members opposite what is in that report.
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