❓ Mr. Wyatt questions the Minister for Transport about potential delays to the MAX light rail and airport rail projects. The Minister avoids a direct answer, criticizes the opposition's transport plan, and states a review of the asset investment program is underway.
AnsweredQoN 546Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
METRO AREA EXPRESS LIGHT RAIL AND PERTH AIRPORT
LIGHT RAIL PROJECTS —ELECTION COMMITTMENTS
546. Mr B.S. WYATT to the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the minister's
election commitments regarding MAX light rail and the airport train line, when
he said they will be completed and operating in 2018, which he then revised to
2019. I also refer to the Premier foreshadowing them being delayed by a further
two years to 2021.
(1) Is it true that these transport projects will be delayed
a further two years?
(2) Can the minister advise when MAX light rail and the
airport rail will be operating?
LIGHT RAIL PROJECTS —ELECTION COMMITTMENTS
546. Mr B.S. WYATT to the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the minister's
election commitments regarding MAX light rail and the airport train line, when
he said they will be completed and operating in 2018, which he then revised to
2019. I also refer to the Premier foreshadowing them being delayed by a further
two years to 2021.
(1) Is it true that these transport projects will be delayed
a further two years?
(2) Can the minister advise when MAX light rail and the
airport rail will be operating?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2)
I thank the member for the question. Of course MAX light rail and the airport
heavy rail link are important parts of the transport solution offered to the
people of Western Australia during the election campaign. There is an important
contrast, of course, in those two key components compared with the opposition's
plan—''Metronot''!—which did not add up, would
never have worked and will never happen.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Order! Minister.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I
did not say something would cost $3.9 billion, submit one element of it to
Treasury for costing and have it come in at $5.2 billion; I did not say that at
all! That was what the opposition ran on; it was the centre of its campaign,
and it fell apart in front of it.
Point of Order
Mr B.S. WYATT : Mr
Speaker, I think you would appreciate that my questions were succinct and
direct, and I ask that you bring the Minister for Transport back to answering
them.
The SPEAKER :
Minister for Transport, can you please address the MAX and airport rail lines
and their completion and starting times.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
Yes; thank you, Mr Speaker.
One element of the member for Victoria Park's
question is accurate: in the budget we confirm that it was our anticipation
that they would be completed and operational by 2019.
Out of announcements last week, the government has made very
clear, and made no apology for, our decisions around this. We will be reviewing—I
will talk about this in the matter of public interest debate a little later on—all
elements of our asset investment program, and we will be reviewing a range of
assets that are currently held on the government balance sheet. There is a
process in place through which those reviews will happen. It is important that
we understand that it will be a considered approach. We are not going to rush
to make decisions and we are not going to rush into a fire sale; we will work
through a considered, rational approach to deal with a significant issue. At
the appropriate time, announcements will be made around what that means for
individual projects, so I am not going to speculate on that in the house today.
I think the other point I make is that I read the Premier's
comments to the weekend newspaper; I did not take them to mean there was
necessarily a two-year delay to anything. That was my reading of those
particular comments, so I reject outright that part of the member for Victoria
Park's question. We will make announcements around our investment
program at the appropriate time. I think the important message here is that we
are going to work through a proper and considered process.
I thank the member for the question. Of course MAX light rail and the airport
heavy rail link are important parts of the transport solution offered to the
people of Western Australia during the election campaign. There is an important
contrast, of course, in those two key components compared with the opposition's
plan—''Metronot''!—which did not add up, would
never have worked and will never happen.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Order! Minister.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I
did not say something would cost $3.9 billion, submit one element of it to
Treasury for costing and have it come in at $5.2 billion; I did not say that at
all! That was what the opposition ran on; it was the centre of its campaign,
and it fell apart in front of it.
Point of Order
Mr B.S. WYATT : Mr
Speaker, I think you would appreciate that my questions were succinct and
direct, and I ask that you bring the Minister for Transport back to answering
them.
The SPEAKER :
Minister for Transport, can you please address the MAX and airport rail lines
and their completion and starting times.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
Yes; thank you, Mr Speaker.
One element of the member for Victoria Park's
question is accurate: in the budget we confirm that it was our anticipation
that they would be completed and operational by 2019.
Out of announcements last week, the government has made very
clear, and made no apology for, our decisions around this. We will be reviewing—I
will talk about this in the matter of public interest debate a little later on—all
elements of our asset investment program, and we will be reviewing a range of
assets that are currently held on the government balance sheet. There is a
process in place through which those reviews will happen. It is important that
we understand that it will be a considered approach. We are not going to rush
to make decisions and we are not going to rush into a fire sale; we will work
through a considered, rational approach to deal with a significant issue. At
the appropriate time, announcements will be made around what that means for
individual projects, so I am not going to speculate on that in the house today.
I think the other point I make is that I read the Premier's
comments to the weekend newspaper; I did not take them to mean there was
necessarily a two-year delay to anything. That was my reading of those
particular comments, so I reject outright that part of the member for Victoria
Park's question. We will make announcements around our investment
program at the appropriate time. I think the important message here is that we
are going to work through a proper and considered process.
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