❓ The Minister refutes claims by the National Party regarding inflated cost estimates for the New MetroRail project, accusing them of spreading misinformation and exaggerating figures. The Minister clarifies the project's actual cost and addresses concerns about budget allocations.
AnsweredQoN 741Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Is the minister aware of the blatantly wrong information about the costings of the New MetroRail project that has been peddled recently by the National Party? Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of this question. I know many members are aware of the gross exaggeration by the Leader of the National Party about the rail project. The member for Roleystone was able to extract a confession from the Leader of the National Party two weeks ago when he admitted that he made up figures. He said he did not see any reason why he should not tell lies; that it was his entitlement. I was very concerned about a media release that went beyond the normal “Maxi-meter” exaggeration and that was a blatant untruth. The media release was picked up by that esteemed journal, The Gnowangerup Star ! The Government has doubled the amount of money to be spent on bridge construction in this year’s Main Roads budget. One of the reasons is the problem with the Ashburton Bridge. Money has been brought forward to deal with that. Without one shred of evidence, the Leader of the National Party and his partner in crime, Hon Murray Criddle, have raced around the countryside claiming that the Government is trying to hide some of the New MetroRail project money in the Main Roads budget. The bridge construction budget has not been doubled to strengthen the Narrows Bridge and the Mount Henry Bridge. The Government made this very clear to the member for Roe, who represented the National Party during the Estimates Committee. The Government set it out for him chapter and verse. The member had clearly been sent with instructions - like finding reds under the bed. The Leader of the National Party has made extravagant claims that the rail project will cost $2 billion. The loyal member for Roe was looking under every bit of paper and every budget estimate to try to find where the Government had hidden money for the MetroRail project. The MetroRail project is a $1.4 million project. That includes the sum total of costs including the rolling stock, bridgework and constructing the tunnels. This goes to the credibility of the National Party. It is prepared to tell a blatant untruth to the public.
Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. I know many members are aware of the gross exaggeration by the Leader of the National Party about the rail project. The member for Roleystone was able to extract a confession from the Leader of the National Party two weeks ago when he admitted that he made up figures. He said he did not see any reason why he should not tell lies; that it was his entitlement. I was very concerned about a media release that went beyond the normal “Maxi-meter” exaggeration and that was a blatant untruth. The media release was picked up by that esteemed journal, The Gnowangerup Star ! The Government has doubled the amount of money to be spent on bridge construction in this year’s Main Roads budget. One of the reasons is the problem with the Ashburton Bridge. Money has been brought forward to deal with that. Without one shred of evidence, the Leader of the National Party and his partner in crime, Hon Murray Criddle, have raced around the countryside claiming that the Government is trying to hide some of the New MetroRail project money in the Main Roads budget. The bridge construction budget has not been doubled to strengthen the Narrows Bridge and the Mount Henry Bridge. The Government made this very clear to the member for Roe, who represented the National Party during the Estimates Committee. The Government set it out for him chapter and verse. The member had clearly been sent with instructions - like finding reds under the bed. The Leader of the National Party has made extravagant claims that the rail project will cost $2 billion. The loyal member for Roe was looking under every bit of paper and every budget estimate to try to find where the Government had hidden money for the MetroRail project. The MetroRail project is a $1.4 million project. That includes the sum total of costs including the rolling stock, bridgework and constructing the tunnels. This goes to the credibility of the National Party. It is prepared to tell a blatant untruth to the public.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. I know many members are aware of the gross exaggeration by the Leader of the National Party about the rail project. The member for Roleystone was able to extract a confession from the Leader of the National Party two weeks ago when he admitted that he made up figures. He said he did not see any reason why he should not tell lies; that it was his entitlement. I was very concerned about a media release that went beyond the normal “Maxi-meter” exaggeration and that was a blatant untruth. The media release was picked up by that esteemed journal, The Gnowangerup Star ! The Government has doubled the amount of money to be spent on bridge construction in this year’s Main Roads budget. One of the reasons is the problem with the Ashburton Bridge. Money has been brought forward to deal with that. Without one shred of evidence, the Leader of the National Party and his partner in crime, Hon Murray Criddle, have raced around the countryside claiming that the Government is trying to hide some of the New MetroRail project money in the Main Roads budget. The bridge construction budget has not been doubled to strengthen the Narrows Bridge and the Mount Henry Bridge. The Government made this very clear to the member for Roe, who represented the National Party during the Estimates Committee. The Government set it out for him chapter and verse. The member had clearly been sent with instructions - like finding reds under the bed. The Leader of the National Party has made extravagant claims that the rail project will cost $2 billion. The loyal member for Roe was looking under every bit of paper and every budget estimate to try to find where the Government had hidden money for the MetroRail project. The MetroRail project is a $1.4 million project. That includes the sum total of costs including the rolling stock, bridgework and constructing the tunnels. This goes to the credibility of the National Party. It is prepared to tell a blatant untruth to the public.
The Government has doubled the amount of money to be spent on bridge construction in this year’s Main Roads budget. One of the reasons is the problem with the Ashburton Bridge. Money has been brought forward to deal with that. Without one shred of evidence, the Leader of the National Party and his partner in crime, Hon Murray Criddle, have raced around the countryside claiming that the Government is trying to hide some of the New MetroRail project money in the Main Roads budget. The bridge construction budget has not been doubled to strengthen the Narrows Bridge and the Mount Henry Bridge. The Government made this very clear to the member for Roe, who represented the National Party during the Estimates Committee. The Government set it out for him chapter and verse. The member had clearly been sent with instructions - like finding reds under the bed. The Leader of the National Party has made extravagant claims that the rail project will cost $2 billion. The loyal member for Roe was looking under every bit of paper and every budget estimate to try to find where the Government had hidden money for the MetroRail project. The MetroRail project is a $1.4 million project. That includes the sum total of costs including the rolling stock, bridgework and constructing the tunnels. This goes to the credibility of the National Party. It is prepared to tell a blatant untruth to the public.
Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. I know many members are aware of the gross exaggeration by the Leader of the National Party about the rail project. The member for Roleystone was able to extract a confession from the Leader of the National Party two weeks ago when he admitted that he made up figures. He said he did not see any reason why he should not tell lies; that it was his entitlement. I was very concerned about a media release that went beyond the normal “Maxi-meter” exaggeration and that was a blatant untruth. The media release was picked up by that esteemed journal, The Gnowangerup Star ! The Government has doubled the amount of money to be spent on bridge construction in this year’s Main Roads budget. One of the reasons is the problem with the Ashburton Bridge. Money has been brought forward to deal with that. Without one shred of evidence, the Leader of the National Party and his partner in crime, Hon Murray Criddle, have raced around the countryside claiming that the Government is trying to hide some of the New MetroRail project money in the Main Roads budget. The bridge construction budget has not been doubled to strengthen the Narrows Bridge and the Mount Henry Bridge. The Government made this very clear to the member for Roe, who represented the National Party during the Estimates Committee. The Government set it out for him chapter and verse. The member had clearly been sent with instructions - like finding reds under the bed. The Leader of the National Party has made extravagant claims that the rail project will cost $2 billion. The loyal member for Roe was looking under every bit of paper and every budget estimate to try to find where the Government had hidden money for the MetroRail project. The MetroRail project is a $1.4 million project. That includes the sum total of costs including the rolling stock, bridgework and constructing the tunnels. This goes to the credibility of the National Party. It is prepared to tell a blatant untruth to the public.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. I know many members are aware of the gross exaggeration by the Leader of the National Party about the rail project. The member for Roleystone was able to extract a confession from the Leader of the National Party two weeks ago when he admitted that he made up figures. He said he did not see any reason why he should not tell lies; that it was his entitlement. I was very concerned about a media release that went beyond the normal “Maxi-meter” exaggeration and that was a blatant untruth. The media release was picked up by that esteemed journal, The Gnowangerup Star ! The Government has doubled the amount of money to be spent on bridge construction in this year’s Main Roads budget. One of the reasons is the problem with the Ashburton Bridge. Money has been brought forward to deal with that. Without one shred of evidence, the Leader of the National Party and his partner in crime, Hon Murray Criddle, have raced around the countryside claiming that the Government is trying to hide some of the New MetroRail project money in the Main Roads budget. The bridge construction budget has not been doubled to strengthen the Narrows Bridge and the Mount Henry Bridge. The Government made this very clear to the member for Roe, who represented the National Party during the Estimates Committee. The Government set it out for him chapter and verse. The member had clearly been sent with instructions - like finding reds under the bed. The Leader of the National Party has made extravagant claims that the rail project will cost $2 billion. The loyal member for Roe was looking under every bit of paper and every budget estimate to try to find where the Government had hidden money for the MetroRail project. The MetroRail project is a $1.4 million project. That includes the sum total of costs including the rolling stock, bridgework and constructing the tunnels. This goes to the credibility of the National Party. It is prepared to tell a blatant untruth to the public.
The Government has doubled the amount of money to be spent on bridge construction in this year’s Main Roads budget. One of the reasons is the problem with the Ashburton Bridge. Money has been brought forward to deal with that. Without one shred of evidence, the Leader of the National Party and his partner in crime, Hon Murray Criddle, have raced around the countryside claiming that the Government is trying to hide some of the New MetroRail project money in the Main Roads budget. The bridge construction budget has not been doubled to strengthen the Narrows Bridge and the Mount Henry Bridge. The Government made this very clear to the member for Roe, who represented the National Party during the Estimates Committee. The Government set it out for him chapter and verse. The member had clearly been sent with instructions - like finding reds under the bed. The Leader of the National Party has made extravagant claims that the rail project will cost $2 billion. The loyal member for Roe was looking under every bit of paper and every budget estimate to try to find where the Government had hidden money for the MetroRail project. The MetroRail project is a $1.4 million project. That includes the sum total of costs including the rolling stock, bridgework and constructing the tunnels. This goes to the credibility of the National Party. It is prepared to tell a blatant untruth to the public.
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