Question regarding the government's commitment to the Southern Rail Link and accusations against the Leader of the National Party for misrepresenting project costs. The Minister defends the government's position and clarifies the budget allocation.

AnsweredQoN 362Legislative Assembly
Asked
13 September 2001
Portfolio
Planning and Infrastructure

QuestionView source ↗

SOUTHERN RAIL LINK, GOVERNMENT’S COMMITMENT
Has the Leader of the National Party recently demonstrated his incapacity to either grasp the issue or tell the truth about the Government’s commitment to the southern rail link? Ms MacTIERNAN

AnswerView source ↗

I think highly of the Leader of the National Party, so I am sure that he did not deliberately mislead the public but, rather, it was a failure to understand numbers. We know that he has had a few problems in that regard lately. It is important to point out the $1.2 billion error made by the Leader of the National Party in a number of recent media statements he released. Recently he claimed that the Government would rob country Western Australia in order to pay for the Mandurah to Perth railway line. He said that the realignment of the railway directly down the freeway would cost an extra $1.2 billion. He also said that it would cost an extra $100 million per minute. I must reassure the Leader of the National Party that he is absolutely wrong. The project cost is $1.2 billion, which will be shown in the budget today. The $1.2 billion comprises the $1.47 billion that was allocated in the budget of the previous Government, plus $70 million for a bus way. Mr Trenorden interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: I have read them both. The $1.2 billion we have allocated for this project is exactly the same amount that was allocated by the Leader of the National Party’s colleague in the former Government. Indeed, all we are doing is getting better value for money.
Ms MacTIERNAN replied: I think highly of the Leader of the National Party, so I am sure that he did not deliberately mislead the public but, rather, it was a failure to understand numbers. We know that he has had a few problems in that regard lately. It is important to point out the $1.2 billion error made by the Leader of the National Party in a number of recent media statements he released. Recently he claimed that the Government would rob country Western Australia in order to pay for the Mandurah to Perth railway line. He said that the realignment of the railway directly down the freeway would cost an extra $1.2 billion. He also said that it would cost an extra $100 million per minute. I must reassure the Leader of the National Party that he is absolutely wrong. The project cost is $1.2 billion, which will be shown in the budget today. The $1.2 billion comprises the $1.47 billion that was allocated in the budget of the previous Government, plus $70 million for a bus way. Mr Trenorden interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: I have read them both. The $1.2 billion we have allocated for this project is exactly the same amount that was allocated by the Leader of the National Party’s colleague in the former Government. Indeed, all we are doing is getting better value for money.
I think highly of the Leader of the National Party, so I am sure that he did not deliberately mislead the public but, rather, it was a failure to understand numbers. We know that he has had a few problems in that regard lately. It is important to point out the $1.2 billion error made by the Leader of the National Party in a number of recent media statements he released. Recently he claimed that the Government would rob country Western Australia in order to pay for the Mandurah to Perth railway line. He said that the realignment of the railway directly down the freeway would cost an extra $1.2 billion. He also said that it would cost an extra $100 million per minute. I must reassure the Leader of the National Party that he is absolutely wrong. The project cost is $1.2 billion, which will be shown in the budget today. The $1.2 billion comprises the $1.47 billion that was allocated in the budget of the previous Government, plus $70 million for a bus way. Mr Trenorden interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: I have read them both. The $1.2 billion we have allocated for this project is exactly the same amount that was allocated by the Leader of the National Party’s colleague in the former Government. Indeed, all we are doing is getting better value for money.
It is important to point out the $1.2 billion error made by the Leader of the National Party in a number of recent media statements he released. Recently he claimed that the Government would rob country Western Australia in order to pay for the Mandurah to Perth railway line. He said that the realignment of the railway directly down the freeway would cost an extra $1.2 billion. He also said that it would cost an extra $100 million per minute. I must reassure the Leader of the National Party that he is absolutely wrong. The project cost is $1.2 billion, which will be shown in the budget today. The $1.2 billion comprises the $1.47 billion that was allocated in the budget of the previous Government, plus $70 million for a bus way. Mr Trenorden interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: I have read them both. The $1.2 billion we have allocated for this project is exactly the same amount that was allocated by the Leader of the National Party’s colleague in the former Government. Indeed, all we are doing is getting better value for money.
The $1.2 billion comprises the $1.47 billion that was allocated in the budget of the previous Government, plus $70 million for a bus way. Mr Trenorden interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: I have read them both. The $1.2 billion we have allocated for this project is exactly the same amount that was allocated by the Leader of the National Party’s colleague in the former Government. Indeed, all we are doing is getting better value for money.
Mr Trenorden interjected. Ms MacTIERNAN: I have read them both. The $1.2 billion we have allocated for this project is exactly the same amount that was allocated by the Leader of the National Party’s colleague in the former Government. Indeed, all we are doing is getting better value for money.
Ms MacTIERNAN: I have read them both. The $1.2 billion we have allocated for this project is exactly the same amount that was allocated by the Leader of the National Party’s colleague in the former Government. Indeed, all we are doing is getting better value for money.

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