❓ A parliamentary question regarding road maintenance contracts and funding, with the Minister disputing the premise of the question and indicating intent to seek additional funding despite economic challenges.
AnsweredQoN 646Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
ROAD MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS
I refer to the Auditor General’s report released today that highlighted the failures of the road maintenance contracts entered into by the last Court-Barnett Liberal government. (1) Is the minister aware that these failed road maintenance contracts are outcomes-based, which means that the previous government could not have reduced the backlog by funding additional maintenance work, and that any additional funding would simply have reduced the amount of work that the contractors would be required to do? (2) Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts? (3) If yes to (2), how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN
I refer to the Auditor General’s report released today that highlighted the failures of the road maintenance contracts entered into by the last Court-Barnett Liberal government. (1) Is the minister aware that these failed road maintenance contracts are outcomes-based, which means that the previous government could not have reduced the backlog by funding additional maintenance work, and that any additional funding would simply have reduced the amount of work that the contractors would be required to do? (2) Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts? (3) If yes to (2), how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(3) I believe the honourable member is mistaken in his assertion that during the boom years, while backlogs of road maintenance were being accrued year after year it was somehow — Hon Ken Travers interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! We have been through question time with questions asked and answered without any comment from the sidelines. Let us maintain that. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I do not know why this member wants to answer his own questions. If he wants to ask me a question, I will answer the blooming thing. But I get halfway through it and then he interrupts, so that the President has to intercede and we lose the train of thought. If he is serious about it, he can give — Hon Sally Talbot : He’s just trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Who is? Hon Sally Talbot : Hon Ken Travers is trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Yes, sure he is. Gee, he needs to get a life. Hon Ken Travers : Are you a bit tetchy today, minister? The PRESIDENT : Order! Let me make this clear: it is the member’s job to ask the question; it is the minister’s job to answer it. It is my job to adjudicate on what happens in the chamber; it is not the individual member’s job. I call on the Minister for Transport to answer the question. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : If he has gone to all the trouble of asking a question, I will try once more to get an answer out. If the honourable member thinks that some sort of prohibition is contained in the contract facilities entered into by Main Roads that somehow prohibited, through the boom years, the possibility of the Gallop or Carpenter governments applying more funds to road maintenance, instead of allowing the backlog to accrue year after year, I believe he is mistaken. That is my response to the first part of his question. What was the second part? He asked it so long ago that I cannot recall. Hon Ken Travers : Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts; and, if yes, how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I thank the member. I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
(1) Is the minister aware that these failed road maintenance contracts are outcomes-based, which means that the previous government could not have reduced the backlog by funding additional maintenance work, and that any additional funding would simply have reduced the amount of work that the contractors would be required to do? (2) Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts? (3) If yes to (2), how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN replied: (1)-(3) I believe the honourable member is mistaken in his assertion that during the boom years, while backlogs of road maintenance were being accrued year after year it was somehow — Hon Ken Travers interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! We have been through question time with questions asked and answered without any comment from the sidelines. Let us maintain that. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I do not know why this member wants to answer his own questions. If he wants to ask me a question, I will answer the blooming thing. But I get halfway through it and then he interrupts, so that the President has to intercede and we lose the train of thought. If he is serious about it, he can give — Hon Sally Talbot : He’s just trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Who is? Hon Sally Talbot : Hon Ken Travers is trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Yes, sure he is. Gee, he needs to get a life. Hon Ken Travers : Are you a bit tetchy today, minister? The PRESIDENT : Order! Let me make this clear: it is the member’s job to ask the question; it is the minister’s job to answer it. It is my job to adjudicate on what happens in the chamber; it is not the individual member’s job. I call on the Minister for Transport to answer the question. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : If he has gone to all the trouble of asking a question, I will try once more to get an answer out. If the honourable member thinks that some sort of prohibition is contained in the contract facilities entered into by Main Roads that somehow prohibited, through the boom years, the possibility of the Gallop or Carpenter governments applying more funds to road maintenance, instead of allowing the backlog to accrue year after year, I believe he is mistaken. That is my response to the first part of his question. What was the second part? He asked it so long ago that I cannot recall. Hon Ken Travers : Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts; and, if yes, how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I thank the member. I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
(2) Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts? (3) If yes to (2), how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN replied: (1)-(3) I believe the honourable member is mistaken in his assertion that during the boom years, while backlogs of road maintenance were being accrued year after year it was somehow — Hon Ken Travers interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! We have been through question time with questions asked and answered without any comment from the sidelines. Let us maintain that. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I do not know why this member wants to answer his own questions. If he wants to ask me a question, I will answer the blooming thing. But I get halfway through it and then he interrupts, so that the President has to intercede and we lose the train of thought. If he is serious about it, he can give — Hon Sally Talbot : He’s just trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Who is? Hon Sally Talbot : Hon Ken Travers is trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Yes, sure he is. Gee, he needs to get a life. Hon Ken Travers : Are you a bit tetchy today, minister? The PRESIDENT : Order! Let me make this clear: it is the member’s job to ask the question; it is the minister’s job to answer it. It is my job to adjudicate on what happens in the chamber; it is not the individual member’s job. I call on the Minister for Transport to answer the question. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : If he has gone to all the trouble of asking a question, I will try once more to get an answer out. If the honourable member thinks that some sort of prohibition is contained in the contract facilities entered into by Main Roads that somehow prohibited, through the boom years, the possibility of the Gallop or Carpenter governments applying more funds to road maintenance, instead of allowing the backlog to accrue year after year, I believe he is mistaken. That is my response to the first part of his question. What was the second part? He asked it so long ago that I cannot recall. Hon Ken Travers : Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts; and, if yes, how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I thank the member. I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
(3) If yes to (2), how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN replied: (1)-(3) I believe the honourable member is mistaken in his assertion that during the boom years, while backlogs of road maintenance were being accrued year after year it was somehow — Hon Ken Travers interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! We have been through question time with questions asked and answered without any comment from the sidelines. Let us maintain that. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I do not know why this member wants to answer his own questions. If he wants to ask me a question, I will answer the blooming thing. But I get halfway through it and then he interrupts, so that the President has to intercede and we lose the train of thought. If he is serious about it, he can give — Hon Sally Talbot : He’s just trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Who is? Hon Sally Talbot : Hon Ken Travers is trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Yes, sure he is. Gee, he needs to get a life. Hon Ken Travers : Are you a bit tetchy today, minister? The PRESIDENT : Order! Let me make this clear: it is the member’s job to ask the question; it is the minister’s job to answer it. It is my job to adjudicate on what happens in the chamber; it is not the individual member’s job. I call on the Minister for Transport to answer the question. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : If he has gone to all the trouble of asking a question, I will try once more to get an answer out. If the honourable member thinks that some sort of prohibition is contained in the contract facilities entered into by Main Roads that somehow prohibited, through the boom years, the possibility of the Gallop or Carpenter governments applying more funds to road maintenance, instead of allowing the backlog to accrue year after year, I believe he is mistaken. That is my response to the first part of his question. What was the second part? He asked it so long ago that I cannot recall. Hon Ken Travers : Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts; and, if yes, how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I thank the member. I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
Hon SIMON O’BRIEN replied: (1)-(3) I believe the honourable member is mistaken in his assertion that during the boom years, while backlogs of road maintenance were being accrued year after year it was somehow — Hon Ken Travers interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! We have been through question time with questions asked and answered without any comment from the sidelines. Let us maintain that. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I do not know why this member wants to answer his own questions. If he wants to ask me a question, I will answer the blooming thing. But I get halfway through it and then he interrupts, so that the President has to intercede and we lose the train of thought. If he is serious about it, he can give — Hon Sally Talbot : He’s just trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Who is? Hon Sally Talbot : Hon Ken Travers is trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Yes, sure he is. Gee, he needs to get a life. Hon Ken Travers : Are you a bit tetchy today, minister? The PRESIDENT : Order! Let me make this clear: it is the member’s job to ask the question; it is the minister’s job to answer it. It is my job to adjudicate on what happens in the chamber; it is not the individual member’s job. I call on the Minister for Transport to answer the question. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : If he has gone to all the trouble of asking a question, I will try once more to get an answer out. If the honourable member thinks that some sort of prohibition is contained in the contract facilities entered into by Main Roads that somehow prohibited, through the boom years, the possibility of the Gallop or Carpenter governments applying more funds to road maintenance, instead of allowing the backlog to accrue year after year, I believe he is mistaken. That is my response to the first part of his question. What was the second part? He asked it so long ago that I cannot recall. Hon Ken Travers : Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts; and, if yes, how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I thank the member. I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
(1)-(3) I believe the honourable member is mistaken in his assertion that during the boom years, while backlogs of road maintenance were being accrued year after year it was somehow — Hon Ken Travers interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! We have been through question time with questions asked and answered without any comment from the sidelines. Let us maintain that. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I do not know why this member wants to answer his own questions. If he wants to ask me a question, I will answer the blooming thing. But I get halfway through it and then he interrupts, so that the President has to intercede and we lose the train of thought. If he is serious about it, he can give — Hon Sally Talbot : He’s just trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Who is? Hon Sally Talbot : Hon Ken Travers is trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Yes, sure he is. Gee, he needs to get a life. Hon Ken Travers : Are you a bit tetchy today, minister? The PRESIDENT : Order! Let me make this clear: it is the member’s job to ask the question; it is the minister’s job to answer it. It is my job to adjudicate on what happens in the chamber; it is not the individual member’s job. I call on the Minister for Transport to answer the question. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : If he has gone to all the trouble of asking a question, I will try once more to get an answer out. If the honourable member thinks that some sort of prohibition is contained in the contract facilities entered into by Main Roads that somehow prohibited, through the boom years, the possibility of the Gallop or Carpenter governments applying more funds to road maintenance, instead of allowing the backlog to accrue year after year, I believe he is mistaken. That is my response to the first part of his question. What was the second part? He asked it so long ago that I cannot recall. Hon Ken Travers : Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts; and, if yes, how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I thank the member. I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
Hon Ken Travers interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! We have been through question time with questions asked and answered without any comment from the sidelines. Let us maintain that. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I do not know why this member wants to answer his own questions. If he wants to ask me a question, I will answer the blooming thing. But I get halfway through it and then he interrupts, so that the President has to intercede and we lose the train of thought. If he is serious about it, he can give — Hon Sally Talbot : He’s just trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Who is? Hon Sally Talbot : Hon Ken Travers is trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Yes, sure he is. Gee, he needs to get a life. Hon Ken Travers : Are you a bit tetchy today, minister? The PRESIDENT : Order! Let me make this clear: it is the member’s job to ask the question; it is the minister’s job to answer it. It is my job to adjudicate on what happens in the chamber; it is not the individual member’s job. I call on the Minister for Transport to answer the question. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : If he has gone to all the trouble of asking a question, I will try once more to get an answer out. If the honourable member thinks that some sort of prohibition is contained in the contract facilities entered into by Main Roads that somehow prohibited, through the boom years, the possibility of the Gallop or Carpenter governments applying more funds to road maintenance, instead of allowing the backlog to accrue year after year, I believe he is mistaken. That is my response to the first part of his question. What was the second part? He asked it so long ago that I cannot recall. Hon Ken Travers : Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts; and, if yes, how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I thank the member. I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
The PRESIDENT : Order! We have been through question time with questions asked and answered without any comment from the sidelines. Let us maintain that. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I do not know why this member wants to answer his own questions. If he wants to ask me a question, I will answer the blooming thing. But I get halfway through it and then he interrupts, so that the President has to intercede and we lose the train of thought. If he is serious about it, he can give — Hon Sally Talbot : He’s just trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Who is? Hon Sally Talbot : Hon Ken Travers is trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Yes, sure he is. Gee, he needs to get a life. Hon Ken Travers : Are you a bit tetchy today, minister? The PRESIDENT : Order! Let me make this clear: it is the member’s job to ask the question; it is the minister’s job to answer it. It is my job to adjudicate on what happens in the chamber; it is not the individual member’s job. I call on the Minister for Transport to answer the question. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : If he has gone to all the trouble of asking a question, I will try once more to get an answer out. If the honourable member thinks that some sort of prohibition is contained in the contract facilities entered into by Main Roads that somehow prohibited, through the boom years, the possibility of the Gallop or Carpenter governments applying more funds to road maintenance, instead of allowing the backlog to accrue year after year, I believe he is mistaken. That is my response to the first part of his question. What was the second part? He asked it so long ago that I cannot recall. Hon Ken Travers : Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts; and, if yes, how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I thank the member. I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I do not know why this member wants to answer his own questions. If he wants to ask me a question, I will answer the blooming thing. But I get halfway through it and then he interrupts, so that the President has to intercede and we lose the train of thought. If he is serious about it, he can give — Hon Sally Talbot : He’s just trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Who is? Hon Sally Talbot : Hon Ken Travers is trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Yes, sure he is. Gee, he needs to get a life. Hon Ken Travers : Are you a bit tetchy today, minister? The PRESIDENT : Order! Let me make this clear: it is the member’s job to ask the question; it is the minister’s job to answer it. It is my job to adjudicate on what happens in the chamber; it is not the individual member’s job. I call on the Minister for Transport to answer the question. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : If he has gone to all the trouble of asking a question, I will try once more to get an answer out. If the honourable member thinks that some sort of prohibition is contained in the contract facilities entered into by Main Roads that somehow prohibited, through the boom years, the possibility of the Gallop or Carpenter governments applying more funds to road maintenance, instead of allowing the backlog to accrue year after year, I believe he is mistaken. That is my response to the first part of his question. What was the second part? He asked it so long ago that I cannot recall. Hon Ken Travers : Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts; and, if yes, how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I thank the member. I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
Hon Sally Talbot : He’s just trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Who is? Hon Sally Talbot : Hon Ken Travers is trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Yes, sure he is. Gee, he needs to get a life. Hon Ken Travers : Are you a bit tetchy today, minister? The PRESIDENT : Order! Let me make this clear: it is the member’s job to ask the question; it is the minister’s job to answer it. It is my job to adjudicate on what happens in the chamber; it is not the individual member’s job. I call on the Minister for Transport to answer the question. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : If he has gone to all the trouble of asking a question, I will try once more to get an answer out. If the honourable member thinks that some sort of prohibition is contained in the contract facilities entered into by Main Roads that somehow prohibited, through the boom years, the possibility of the Gallop or Carpenter governments applying more funds to road maintenance, instead of allowing the backlog to accrue year after year, I believe he is mistaken. That is my response to the first part of his question. What was the second part? He asked it so long ago that I cannot recall. Hon Ken Travers : Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts; and, if yes, how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I thank the member. I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Who is? Hon Sally Talbot : Hon Ken Travers is trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Yes, sure he is. Gee, he needs to get a life. Hon Ken Travers : Are you a bit tetchy today, minister? The PRESIDENT : Order! Let me make this clear: it is the member’s job to ask the question; it is the minister’s job to answer it. It is my job to adjudicate on what happens in the chamber; it is not the individual member’s job. I call on the Minister for Transport to answer the question. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : If he has gone to all the trouble of asking a question, I will try once more to get an answer out. If the honourable member thinks that some sort of prohibition is contained in the contract facilities entered into by Main Roads that somehow prohibited, through the boom years, the possibility of the Gallop or Carpenter governments applying more funds to road maintenance, instead of allowing the backlog to accrue year after year, I believe he is mistaken. That is my response to the first part of his question. What was the second part? He asked it so long ago that I cannot recall. Hon Ken Travers : Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts; and, if yes, how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I thank the member. I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
Hon Sally Talbot : Hon Ken Travers is trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Yes, sure he is. Gee, he needs to get a life. Hon Ken Travers : Are you a bit tetchy today, minister? The PRESIDENT : Order! Let me make this clear: it is the member’s job to ask the question; it is the minister’s job to answer it. It is my job to adjudicate on what happens in the chamber; it is not the individual member’s job. I call on the Minister for Transport to answer the question. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : If he has gone to all the trouble of asking a question, I will try once more to get an answer out. If the honourable member thinks that some sort of prohibition is contained in the contract facilities entered into by Main Roads that somehow prohibited, through the boom years, the possibility of the Gallop or Carpenter governments applying more funds to road maintenance, instead of allowing the backlog to accrue year after year, I believe he is mistaken. That is my response to the first part of his question. What was the second part? He asked it so long ago that I cannot recall. Hon Ken Travers : Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts; and, if yes, how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I thank the member. I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Yes, sure he is. Gee, he needs to get a life. Hon Ken Travers : Are you a bit tetchy today, minister? The PRESIDENT : Order! Let me make this clear: it is the member’s job to ask the question; it is the minister’s job to answer it. It is my job to adjudicate on what happens in the chamber; it is not the individual member’s job. I call on the Minister for Transport to answer the question. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : If he has gone to all the trouble of asking a question, I will try once more to get an answer out. If the honourable member thinks that some sort of prohibition is contained in the contract facilities entered into by Main Roads that somehow prohibited, through the boom years, the possibility of the Gallop or Carpenter governments applying more funds to road maintenance, instead of allowing the backlog to accrue year after year, I believe he is mistaken. That is my response to the first part of his question. What was the second part? He asked it so long ago that I cannot recall. Hon Ken Travers : Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts; and, if yes, how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I thank the member. I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
Hon Ken Travers : Are you a bit tetchy today, minister? The PRESIDENT : Order! Let me make this clear: it is the member’s job to ask the question; it is the minister’s job to answer it. It is my job to adjudicate on what happens in the chamber; it is not the individual member’s job. I call on the Minister for Transport to answer the question. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : If he has gone to all the trouble of asking a question, I will try once more to get an answer out. If the honourable member thinks that some sort of prohibition is contained in the contract facilities entered into by Main Roads that somehow prohibited, through the boom years, the possibility of the Gallop or Carpenter governments applying more funds to road maintenance, instead of allowing the backlog to accrue year after year, I believe he is mistaken. That is my response to the first part of his question. What was the second part? He asked it so long ago that I cannot recall. Hon Ken Travers : Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts; and, if yes, how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I thank the member. I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
The PRESIDENT : Order! Let me make this clear: it is the member’s job to ask the question; it is the minister’s job to answer it. It is my job to adjudicate on what happens in the chamber; it is not the individual member’s job. I call on the Minister for Transport to answer the question. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : If he has gone to all the trouble of asking a question, I will try once more to get an answer out. If the honourable member thinks that some sort of prohibition is contained in the contract facilities entered into by Main Roads that somehow prohibited, through the boom years, the possibility of the Gallop or Carpenter governments applying more funds to road maintenance, instead of allowing the backlog to accrue year after year, I believe he is mistaken. That is my response to the first part of his question. What was the second part? He asked it so long ago that I cannot recall. Hon Ken Travers : Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts; and, if yes, how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I thank the member. I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : If he has gone to all the trouble of asking a question, I will try once more to get an answer out. If the honourable member thinks that some sort of prohibition is contained in the contract facilities entered into by Main Roads that somehow prohibited, through the boom years, the possibility of the Gallop or Carpenter governments applying more funds to road maintenance, instead of allowing the backlog to accrue year after year, I believe he is mistaken. That is my response to the first part of his question. What was the second part? He asked it so long ago that I cannot recall. Hon Ken Travers : Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts; and, if yes, how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I thank the member. I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
If the honourable member thinks that some sort of prohibition is contained in the contract facilities entered into by Main Roads that somehow prohibited, through the boom years, the possibility of the Gallop or Carpenter governments applying more funds to road maintenance, instead of allowing the backlog to accrue year after year, I believe he is mistaken. That is my response to the first part of his question. What was the second part? He asked it so long ago that I cannot recall. Hon Ken Travers : Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts; and, if yes, how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I thank the member. I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
Hon Ken Travers : Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts; and, if yes, how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I thank the member. I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I thank the member. I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
(1) Is the minister aware that these failed road maintenance contracts are outcomes-based, which means that the previous government could not have reduced the backlog by funding additional maintenance work, and that any additional funding would simply have reduced the amount of work that the contractors would be required to do? (2) Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts? (3) If yes to (2), how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN replied: (1)-(3) I believe the honourable member is mistaken in his assertion that during the boom years, while backlogs of road maintenance were being accrued year after year it was somehow — Hon Ken Travers interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! We have been through question time with questions asked and answered without any comment from the sidelines. Let us maintain that. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I do not know why this member wants to answer his own questions. If he wants to ask me a question, I will answer the blooming thing. But I get halfway through it and then he interrupts, so that the President has to intercede and we lose the train of thought. If he is serious about it, he can give — Hon Sally Talbot : He’s just trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Who is? Hon Sally Talbot : Hon Ken Travers is trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Yes, sure he is. Gee, he needs to get a life. Hon Ken Travers : Are you a bit tetchy today, minister? The PRESIDENT : Order! Let me make this clear: it is the member’s job to ask the question; it is the minister’s job to answer it. It is my job to adjudicate on what happens in the chamber; it is not the individual member’s job. I call on the Minister for Transport to answer the question. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : If he has gone to all the trouble of asking a question, I will try once more to get an answer out. If the honourable member thinks that some sort of prohibition is contained in the contract facilities entered into by Main Roads that somehow prohibited, through the boom years, the possibility of the Gallop or Carpenter governments applying more funds to road maintenance, instead of allowing the backlog to accrue year after year, I believe he is mistaken. That is my response to the first part of his question. What was the second part? He asked it so long ago that I cannot recall. Hon Ken Travers : Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts; and, if yes, how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I thank the member. I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
(2) Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts? (3) If yes to (2), how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN replied: (1)-(3) I believe the honourable member is mistaken in his assertion that during the boom years, while backlogs of road maintenance were being accrued year after year it was somehow — Hon Ken Travers interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! We have been through question time with questions asked and answered without any comment from the sidelines. Let us maintain that. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I do not know why this member wants to answer his own questions. If he wants to ask me a question, I will answer the blooming thing. But I get halfway through it and then he interrupts, so that the President has to intercede and we lose the train of thought. If he is serious about it, he can give — Hon Sally Talbot : He’s just trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Who is? Hon Sally Talbot : Hon Ken Travers is trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Yes, sure he is. Gee, he needs to get a life. Hon Ken Travers : Are you a bit tetchy today, minister? The PRESIDENT : Order! Let me make this clear: it is the member’s job to ask the question; it is the minister’s job to answer it. It is my job to adjudicate on what happens in the chamber; it is not the individual member’s job. I call on the Minister for Transport to answer the question. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : If he has gone to all the trouble of asking a question, I will try once more to get an answer out. If the honourable member thinks that some sort of prohibition is contained in the contract facilities entered into by Main Roads that somehow prohibited, through the boom years, the possibility of the Gallop or Carpenter governments applying more funds to road maintenance, instead of allowing the backlog to accrue year after year, I believe he is mistaken. That is my response to the first part of his question. What was the second part? He asked it so long ago that I cannot recall. Hon Ken Travers : Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts; and, if yes, how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I thank the member. I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
(3) If yes to (2), how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN replied: (1)-(3) I believe the honourable member is mistaken in his assertion that during the boom years, while backlogs of road maintenance were being accrued year after year it was somehow — Hon Ken Travers interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! We have been through question time with questions asked and answered without any comment from the sidelines. Let us maintain that. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I do not know why this member wants to answer his own questions. If he wants to ask me a question, I will answer the blooming thing. But I get halfway through it and then he interrupts, so that the President has to intercede and we lose the train of thought. If he is serious about it, he can give — Hon Sally Talbot : He’s just trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Who is? Hon Sally Talbot : Hon Ken Travers is trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Yes, sure he is. Gee, he needs to get a life. Hon Ken Travers : Are you a bit tetchy today, minister? The PRESIDENT : Order! Let me make this clear: it is the member’s job to ask the question; it is the minister’s job to answer it. It is my job to adjudicate on what happens in the chamber; it is not the individual member’s job. I call on the Minister for Transport to answer the question. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : If he has gone to all the trouble of asking a question, I will try once more to get an answer out. If the honourable member thinks that some sort of prohibition is contained in the contract facilities entered into by Main Roads that somehow prohibited, through the boom years, the possibility of the Gallop or Carpenter governments applying more funds to road maintenance, instead of allowing the backlog to accrue year after year, I believe he is mistaken. That is my response to the first part of his question. What was the second part? He asked it so long ago that I cannot recall. Hon Ken Travers : Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts; and, if yes, how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I thank the member. I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
Hon SIMON O’BRIEN replied: (1)-(3) I believe the honourable member is mistaken in his assertion that during the boom years, while backlogs of road maintenance were being accrued year after year it was somehow — Hon Ken Travers interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! We have been through question time with questions asked and answered without any comment from the sidelines. Let us maintain that. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I do not know why this member wants to answer his own questions. If he wants to ask me a question, I will answer the blooming thing. But I get halfway through it and then he interrupts, so that the President has to intercede and we lose the train of thought. If he is serious about it, he can give — Hon Sally Talbot : He’s just trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Who is? Hon Sally Talbot : Hon Ken Travers is trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Yes, sure he is. Gee, he needs to get a life. Hon Ken Travers : Are you a bit tetchy today, minister? The PRESIDENT : Order! Let me make this clear: it is the member’s job to ask the question; it is the minister’s job to answer it. It is my job to adjudicate on what happens in the chamber; it is not the individual member’s job. I call on the Minister for Transport to answer the question. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : If he has gone to all the trouble of asking a question, I will try once more to get an answer out. If the honourable member thinks that some sort of prohibition is contained in the contract facilities entered into by Main Roads that somehow prohibited, through the boom years, the possibility of the Gallop or Carpenter governments applying more funds to road maintenance, instead of allowing the backlog to accrue year after year, I believe he is mistaken. That is my response to the first part of his question. What was the second part? He asked it so long ago that I cannot recall. Hon Ken Travers : Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts; and, if yes, how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I thank the member. I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
(1)-(3) I believe the honourable member is mistaken in his assertion that during the boom years, while backlogs of road maintenance were being accrued year after year it was somehow — Hon Ken Travers interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! We have been through question time with questions asked and answered without any comment from the sidelines. Let us maintain that. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I do not know why this member wants to answer his own questions. If he wants to ask me a question, I will answer the blooming thing. But I get halfway through it and then he interrupts, so that the President has to intercede and we lose the train of thought. If he is serious about it, he can give — Hon Sally Talbot : He’s just trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Who is? Hon Sally Talbot : Hon Ken Travers is trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Yes, sure he is. Gee, he needs to get a life. Hon Ken Travers : Are you a bit tetchy today, minister? The PRESIDENT : Order! Let me make this clear: it is the member’s job to ask the question; it is the minister’s job to answer it. It is my job to adjudicate on what happens in the chamber; it is not the individual member’s job. I call on the Minister for Transport to answer the question. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : If he has gone to all the trouble of asking a question, I will try once more to get an answer out. If the honourable member thinks that some sort of prohibition is contained in the contract facilities entered into by Main Roads that somehow prohibited, through the boom years, the possibility of the Gallop or Carpenter governments applying more funds to road maintenance, instead of allowing the backlog to accrue year after year, I believe he is mistaken. That is my response to the first part of his question. What was the second part? He asked it so long ago that I cannot recall. Hon Ken Travers : Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts; and, if yes, how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I thank the member. I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
Hon Ken Travers interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order! We have been through question time with questions asked and answered without any comment from the sidelines. Let us maintain that. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I do not know why this member wants to answer his own questions. If he wants to ask me a question, I will answer the blooming thing. But I get halfway through it and then he interrupts, so that the President has to intercede and we lose the train of thought. If he is serious about it, he can give — Hon Sally Talbot : He’s just trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Who is? Hon Sally Talbot : Hon Ken Travers is trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Yes, sure he is. Gee, he needs to get a life. Hon Ken Travers : Are you a bit tetchy today, minister? The PRESIDENT : Order! Let me make this clear: it is the member’s job to ask the question; it is the minister’s job to answer it. It is my job to adjudicate on what happens in the chamber; it is not the individual member’s job. I call on the Minister for Transport to answer the question. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : If he has gone to all the trouble of asking a question, I will try once more to get an answer out. If the honourable member thinks that some sort of prohibition is contained in the contract facilities entered into by Main Roads that somehow prohibited, through the boom years, the possibility of the Gallop or Carpenter governments applying more funds to road maintenance, instead of allowing the backlog to accrue year after year, I believe he is mistaken. That is my response to the first part of his question. What was the second part? He asked it so long ago that I cannot recall. Hon Ken Travers : Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts; and, if yes, how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I thank the member. I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
The PRESIDENT : Order! We have been through question time with questions asked and answered without any comment from the sidelines. Let us maintain that. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I do not know why this member wants to answer his own questions. If he wants to ask me a question, I will answer the blooming thing. But I get halfway through it and then he interrupts, so that the President has to intercede and we lose the train of thought. If he is serious about it, he can give — Hon Sally Talbot : He’s just trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Who is? Hon Sally Talbot : Hon Ken Travers is trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Yes, sure he is. Gee, he needs to get a life. Hon Ken Travers : Are you a bit tetchy today, minister? The PRESIDENT : Order! Let me make this clear: it is the member’s job to ask the question; it is the minister’s job to answer it. It is my job to adjudicate on what happens in the chamber; it is not the individual member’s job. I call on the Minister for Transport to answer the question. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : If he has gone to all the trouble of asking a question, I will try once more to get an answer out. If the honourable member thinks that some sort of prohibition is contained in the contract facilities entered into by Main Roads that somehow prohibited, through the boom years, the possibility of the Gallop or Carpenter governments applying more funds to road maintenance, instead of allowing the backlog to accrue year after year, I believe he is mistaken. That is my response to the first part of his question. What was the second part? He asked it so long ago that I cannot recall. Hon Ken Travers : Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts; and, if yes, how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I thank the member. I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I do not know why this member wants to answer his own questions. If he wants to ask me a question, I will answer the blooming thing. But I get halfway through it and then he interrupts, so that the President has to intercede and we lose the train of thought. If he is serious about it, he can give — Hon Sally Talbot : He’s just trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Who is? Hon Sally Talbot : Hon Ken Travers is trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Yes, sure he is. Gee, he needs to get a life. Hon Ken Travers : Are you a bit tetchy today, minister? The PRESIDENT : Order! Let me make this clear: it is the member’s job to ask the question; it is the minister’s job to answer it. It is my job to adjudicate on what happens in the chamber; it is not the individual member’s job. I call on the Minister for Transport to answer the question. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : If he has gone to all the trouble of asking a question, I will try once more to get an answer out. If the honourable member thinks that some sort of prohibition is contained in the contract facilities entered into by Main Roads that somehow prohibited, through the boom years, the possibility of the Gallop or Carpenter governments applying more funds to road maintenance, instead of allowing the backlog to accrue year after year, I believe he is mistaken. That is my response to the first part of his question. What was the second part? He asked it so long ago that I cannot recall. Hon Ken Travers : Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts; and, if yes, how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I thank the member. I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
Hon Sally Talbot : He’s just trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Who is? Hon Sally Talbot : Hon Ken Travers is trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Yes, sure he is. Gee, he needs to get a life. Hon Ken Travers : Are you a bit tetchy today, minister? The PRESIDENT : Order! Let me make this clear: it is the member’s job to ask the question; it is the minister’s job to answer it. It is my job to adjudicate on what happens in the chamber; it is not the individual member’s job. I call on the Minister for Transport to answer the question. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : If he has gone to all the trouble of asking a question, I will try once more to get an answer out. If the honourable member thinks that some sort of prohibition is contained in the contract facilities entered into by Main Roads that somehow prohibited, through the boom years, the possibility of the Gallop or Carpenter governments applying more funds to road maintenance, instead of allowing the backlog to accrue year after year, I believe he is mistaken. That is my response to the first part of his question. What was the second part? He asked it so long ago that I cannot recall. Hon Ken Travers : Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts; and, if yes, how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I thank the member. I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Who is? Hon Sally Talbot : Hon Ken Travers is trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Yes, sure he is. Gee, he needs to get a life. Hon Ken Travers : Are you a bit tetchy today, minister? The PRESIDENT : Order! Let me make this clear: it is the member’s job to ask the question; it is the minister’s job to answer it. It is my job to adjudicate on what happens in the chamber; it is not the individual member’s job. I call on the Minister for Transport to answer the question. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : If he has gone to all the trouble of asking a question, I will try once more to get an answer out. If the honourable member thinks that some sort of prohibition is contained in the contract facilities entered into by Main Roads that somehow prohibited, through the boom years, the possibility of the Gallop or Carpenter governments applying more funds to road maintenance, instead of allowing the backlog to accrue year after year, I believe he is mistaken. That is my response to the first part of his question. What was the second part? He asked it so long ago that I cannot recall. Hon Ken Travers : Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts; and, if yes, how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I thank the member. I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
Hon Sally Talbot : Hon Ken Travers is trying to help you. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Yes, sure he is. Gee, he needs to get a life. Hon Ken Travers : Are you a bit tetchy today, minister? The PRESIDENT : Order! Let me make this clear: it is the member’s job to ask the question; it is the minister’s job to answer it. It is my job to adjudicate on what happens in the chamber; it is not the individual member’s job. I call on the Minister for Transport to answer the question. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : If he has gone to all the trouble of asking a question, I will try once more to get an answer out. If the honourable member thinks that some sort of prohibition is contained in the contract facilities entered into by Main Roads that somehow prohibited, through the boom years, the possibility of the Gallop or Carpenter governments applying more funds to road maintenance, instead of allowing the backlog to accrue year after year, I believe he is mistaken. That is my response to the first part of his question. What was the second part? He asked it so long ago that I cannot recall. Hon Ken Travers : Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts; and, if yes, how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I thank the member. I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : Yes, sure he is. Gee, he needs to get a life. Hon Ken Travers : Are you a bit tetchy today, minister? The PRESIDENT : Order! Let me make this clear: it is the member’s job to ask the question; it is the minister’s job to answer it. It is my job to adjudicate on what happens in the chamber; it is not the individual member’s job. I call on the Minister for Transport to answer the question. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : If he has gone to all the trouble of asking a question, I will try once more to get an answer out. If the honourable member thinks that some sort of prohibition is contained in the contract facilities entered into by Main Roads that somehow prohibited, through the boom years, the possibility of the Gallop or Carpenter governments applying more funds to road maintenance, instead of allowing the backlog to accrue year after year, I believe he is mistaken. That is my response to the first part of his question. What was the second part? He asked it so long ago that I cannot recall. Hon Ken Travers : Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts; and, if yes, how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I thank the member. I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
Hon Ken Travers : Are you a bit tetchy today, minister? The PRESIDENT : Order! Let me make this clear: it is the member’s job to ask the question; it is the minister’s job to answer it. It is my job to adjudicate on what happens in the chamber; it is not the individual member’s job. I call on the Minister for Transport to answer the question. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : If he has gone to all the trouble of asking a question, I will try once more to get an answer out. If the honourable member thinks that some sort of prohibition is contained in the contract facilities entered into by Main Roads that somehow prohibited, through the boom years, the possibility of the Gallop or Carpenter governments applying more funds to road maintenance, instead of allowing the backlog to accrue year after year, I believe he is mistaken. That is my response to the first part of his question. What was the second part? He asked it so long ago that I cannot recall. Hon Ken Travers : Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts; and, if yes, how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I thank the member. I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
The PRESIDENT : Order! Let me make this clear: it is the member’s job to ask the question; it is the minister’s job to answer it. It is my job to adjudicate on what happens in the chamber; it is not the individual member’s job. I call on the Minister for Transport to answer the question. Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : If he has gone to all the trouble of asking a question, I will try once more to get an answer out. If the honourable member thinks that some sort of prohibition is contained in the contract facilities entered into by Main Roads that somehow prohibited, through the boom years, the possibility of the Gallop or Carpenter governments applying more funds to road maintenance, instead of allowing the backlog to accrue year after year, I believe he is mistaken. That is my response to the first part of his question. What was the second part? He asked it so long ago that I cannot recall. Hon Ken Travers : Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts; and, if yes, how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I thank the member. I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : If he has gone to all the trouble of asking a question, I will try once more to get an answer out. If the honourable member thinks that some sort of prohibition is contained in the contract facilities entered into by Main Roads that somehow prohibited, through the boom years, the possibility of the Gallop or Carpenter governments applying more funds to road maintenance, instead of allowing the backlog to accrue year after year, I believe he is mistaken. That is my response to the first part of his question. What was the second part? He asked it so long ago that I cannot recall. Hon Ken Travers : Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts; and, if yes, how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I thank the member. I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
If the honourable member thinks that some sort of prohibition is contained in the contract facilities entered into by Main Roads that somehow prohibited, through the boom years, the possibility of the Gallop or Carpenter governments applying more funds to road maintenance, instead of allowing the backlog to accrue year after year, I believe he is mistaken. That is my response to the first part of his question. What was the second part? He asked it so long ago that I cannot recall. Hon Ken Travers : Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts; and, if yes, how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I thank the member. I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
Hon Ken Travers : Does the minister intend to seek additional funding from cabinet to ensure that the road maintenance backlog is eliminated under the new contracts; and, if yes, how much money, and when does the minister expect the funding to be required? Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I thank the member. I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
Hon SIMON O’BRIEN : I thank the member. I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
I will be seeking more money in the future, regardless of Auditor General reports. The times economically are very tough, and I will certainly be seeking more funds anyway for Main Roads for a range of matters, including not only road maintenance, but also a road safety program. Indeed, in the course of setting the new term network contracts, I intend to have them set at a level that addresses, to the greatest extent possible, the backlog of maintenance that has arisen over the past several years. If the member wants to see some statement of general intent in that direction already, I suggest that he refer to the appropriate line in the budget that shows that in the out years additional funds have already been made available for those term network contracts.
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