❓ A parliamentary question regarding public transport initiatives, specifically the Metro Area Express, followed by a critical response from the Minister for Transport regarding the Labor Party's alternative public transport proposals.
AnsweredQoN 498Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
INITIATIVES
498. Mr I.M. BRITZA to the Minister for Transport:
This Liberal–National government has recently made
several public transport announcements ranging from that of a new train station
in Aubin Grove to announcing a plan relating to Western Australia's
proposed light rail system. I note the significance of the announcement
relating to the metropolitan —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Collie–Preston, I formally call you to order for the first
time today.
Mr
I.M. BRITZA : I note the significance of the announcement relating to the
Metro Area Express and would appreciate it if the minister could update the
house on the alternative public transport thought bubbles raised by the Labor
Party?
INITIATIVES
498. Mr I.M. BRITZA to the Minister for Transport:
This Liberal–National government has recently made
several public transport announcements ranging from that of a new train station
in Aubin Grove to announcing a plan relating to Western Australia's
proposed light rail system. I note the significance of the announcement
relating to the metropolitan —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Collie–Preston, I formally call you to order for the first
time today.
Mr
I.M. BRITZA : I note the significance of the announcement relating to the
Metro Area Express and would appreciate it if the minister could update the
house on the alternative public transport thought bubbles raised by the Labor
Party?
AnswerView source ↗
I will try to be quick, Mr Speaker!
The member for Morley is right and I thank him for coming along to the launch
of the route for the Metro Area Express a couple of weeks ago. I think it is a
fantastic announcement. There is a lot of positive support for it right across
the community. There is some frustration that it will take some time to get off
the ground. We expect construction will start in 2016, but it is a complicated
project. The only people I have heard of who oppose it are those in the Western
Australian Labor Party. The only people who do not support a significant shift
in the provision of public transport infrastructure in Western Australia are
those in the Western Australian Labor Party.
Mr M. McGowan :
When is it going to start?
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
Once again, it will start in 2016.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Thank
you, members!
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
So, Mr Speaker —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Questions and answers should not take so long, members.
Mr
T.R. BUSWELL : It is an excellent project and those opposite should support
it. They should support it because it is a fantastic project. I thought by way
of comparison that I would share with the house a reflection on some recent
announcements around public transport from the Labor Party. In relation to
light rail—I have discussed this before—the Labor Party
proposes a fully funded light rail from East Perth to West Perth; basically, a
light rail project from this side of the Causeway to Princess Margaret Hospital
for Children. It will be fully funded from the Perth parking levy, which has no
money in it!
Mr J.N. Hyde :
Rubbish!
Mr
T.R. BUSWELL : Who said ''rubbish''? It is true! It is true!
Several members interjected.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
So the Labor Party's light rail project, which is fully funded, is
funded from a funding source which has no money in it! That is the first one!
Mr B.S. Wyatt : How
much money has been allocated to your light rail? How much money? How much is
allocated?
The SPEAKER :
Member for Victoria Park, I will allocate to you one formal call to order.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
The second cab off the rank is Atwell train station; a $45 million train
station with nowhere to park—a fantastic announcement!
Several members interjected.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
No wonder the member for Cockburn's candidate quit!
Several members interjected.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
Then there is the new plan to fix train congestion. This is the plan—to
spend $110 million from somewhere —
Mr
P. Papalia : Bring on the toilet rolls —
Mr
T.R. BUSWELL : — to buy 10 new railcar sets.
Mr P. Papalia : —
at least they were funny!
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : The problem is, member for Warnbro,
there is no money in here to pay for the drivers or the electricity! It costs
$2 million a year to run a train set up and down the line, so they can buy 10
cars but what are they going to do with them? What are they going to do with
them? Leave them parked in the shed.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : I
think some of you want to stay in this place for something that is going to
happen after question time—I am presuming some of you do. I am hearing
some of you more than I am hearing from some others. I am trying to be subtle,
but I am suggesting that if people want to be called to order they should
continue in the same way, member for Victoria Park.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I
just want to finish with my last reflection on Labor public transport policy.
It came last week on Thursday, 13 September.
Mr W.J. Johnston interjected.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
Let me read this, member for Cannington.
This was in response to the government announcing the route
of the train line through to the airport and on to Forrestfield—a very
important announcement. The shadow Minister for Transport was on the radio, and
this is what he said—just listen to this —
what I would love to see is a rail
line that actually runs along Tonkin Highway from Forrestfield to Ellenbrook
''I am going to build a
railway line from Forrestfield to Ellenbrook'', and —
I would be proposing that we get on
with it straight away and build it in the next term of Government
So here is the Labor transport
spokesperson, in a magnificent stroke of public transport planning genius,
deciding that he is going to spend $2.5 billion linking up the two most
marginal seats in the eastern suburbs with heavy rail! It is fantastic!
Several members interjected.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I
will table it; it is here!
Leader of the Opposition, I look forward —
The SPEAKER : I
thought it was a fairly simple question; a lot of people are wishing to prolong
it unnecessarily. I will ask you to conclude your answer, minister. If you are
going to table a document, I will ask you to do that as well.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I
will table the document, because I would like to see the Leader of the
Opposition's new shiny document with the Ellenbrook–Forrestfield
railway line on it. I could imagine the folks in Ellenbrook getting up and
thinking: ''Thank heavens; if we get a Labor government we can get on
the train, and for a day out we can go down to Forrestfield'', or vice
versa. The good folk of Forrestfield will be out there celebrating in the
streets! ''For a day out next year we're going to go to
Ellenbrook''! But to help the Leader of the Opposition do his big new
shiny brochure for his new initiative from Ellenbrook to Forrestfield, I have
started it for him. This can be the cover: there is Kenny Travers, and, more
importantly, there is the price tag, Leader of the Opposition.
Mr W.J. Johnston interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Cannington, I formally call you to order for the first time today.
Member for Victoria Park, I formally call you to order for the second time
today. Minister for Transport, you indicated you would table a document.
Mr
T.R. BUSWELL : Here is my map to help them, which I happily table.
Mr
P. Papalia interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Order, member for Warnbro!
Mr
T.R. BUSWELL : Here is the transcript from Thursday, 13 September on 6PR
with Rob Broadfield and Hon Ken Travers.
[See papers 5238 and 5239.]
The member for Morley is right and I thank him for coming along to the launch
of the route for the Metro Area Express a couple of weeks ago. I think it is a
fantastic announcement. There is a lot of positive support for it right across
the community. There is some frustration that it will take some time to get off
the ground. We expect construction will start in 2016, but it is a complicated
project. The only people I have heard of who oppose it are those in the Western
Australian Labor Party. The only people who do not support a significant shift
in the provision of public transport infrastructure in Western Australia are
those in the Western Australian Labor Party.
Mr M. McGowan :
When is it going to start?
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
Once again, it will start in 2016.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Thank
you, members!
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
So, Mr Speaker —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Questions and answers should not take so long, members.
Mr
T.R. BUSWELL : It is an excellent project and those opposite should support
it. They should support it because it is a fantastic project. I thought by way
of comparison that I would share with the house a reflection on some recent
announcements around public transport from the Labor Party. In relation to
light rail—I have discussed this before—the Labor Party
proposes a fully funded light rail from East Perth to West Perth; basically, a
light rail project from this side of the Causeway to Princess Margaret Hospital
for Children. It will be fully funded from the Perth parking levy, which has no
money in it!
Mr J.N. Hyde :
Rubbish!
Mr
T.R. BUSWELL : Who said ''rubbish''? It is true! It is true!
Several members interjected.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
So the Labor Party's light rail project, which is fully funded, is
funded from a funding source which has no money in it! That is the first one!
Mr B.S. Wyatt : How
much money has been allocated to your light rail? How much money? How much is
allocated?
The SPEAKER :
Member for Victoria Park, I will allocate to you one formal call to order.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
The second cab off the rank is Atwell train station; a $45 million train
station with nowhere to park—a fantastic announcement!
Several members interjected.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
No wonder the member for Cockburn's candidate quit!
Several members interjected.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
Then there is the new plan to fix train congestion. This is the plan—to
spend $110 million from somewhere —
Mr
P. Papalia : Bring on the toilet rolls —
Mr
T.R. BUSWELL : — to buy 10 new railcar sets.
Mr P. Papalia : —
at least they were funny!
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : The problem is, member for Warnbro,
there is no money in here to pay for the drivers or the electricity! It costs
$2 million a year to run a train set up and down the line, so they can buy 10
cars but what are they going to do with them? What are they going to do with
them? Leave them parked in the shed.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : I
think some of you want to stay in this place for something that is going to
happen after question time—I am presuming some of you do. I am hearing
some of you more than I am hearing from some others. I am trying to be subtle,
but I am suggesting that if people want to be called to order they should
continue in the same way, member for Victoria Park.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I
just want to finish with my last reflection on Labor public transport policy.
It came last week on Thursday, 13 September.
Mr W.J. Johnston interjected.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
Let me read this, member for Cannington.
This was in response to the government announcing the route
of the train line through to the airport and on to Forrestfield—a very
important announcement. The shadow Minister for Transport was on the radio, and
this is what he said—just listen to this —
what I would love to see is a rail
line that actually runs along Tonkin Highway from Forrestfield to Ellenbrook
''I am going to build a
railway line from Forrestfield to Ellenbrook'', and —
I would be proposing that we get on
with it straight away and build it in the next term of Government
So here is the Labor transport
spokesperson, in a magnificent stroke of public transport planning genius,
deciding that he is going to spend $2.5 billion linking up the two most
marginal seats in the eastern suburbs with heavy rail! It is fantastic!
Several members interjected.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I
will table it; it is here!
Leader of the Opposition, I look forward —
The SPEAKER : I
thought it was a fairly simple question; a lot of people are wishing to prolong
it unnecessarily. I will ask you to conclude your answer, minister. If you are
going to table a document, I will ask you to do that as well.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : I
will table the document, because I would like to see the Leader of the
Opposition's new shiny document with the Ellenbrook–Forrestfield
railway line on it. I could imagine the folks in Ellenbrook getting up and
thinking: ''Thank heavens; if we get a Labor government we can get on
the train, and for a day out we can go down to Forrestfield'', or vice
versa. The good folk of Forrestfield will be out there celebrating in the
streets! ''For a day out next year we're going to go to
Ellenbrook''! But to help the Leader of the Opposition do his big new
shiny brochure for his new initiative from Ellenbrook to Forrestfield, I have
started it for him. This can be the cover: there is Kenny Travers, and, more
importantly, there is the price tag, Leader of the Opposition.
Mr W.J. Johnston interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Cannington, I formally call you to order for the first time today.
Member for Victoria Park, I formally call you to order for the second time
today. Minister for Transport, you indicated you would table a document.
Mr
T.R. BUSWELL : Here is my map to help them, which I happily table.
Mr
P. Papalia interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Order, member for Warnbro!
Mr
T.R. BUSWELL : Here is the transcript from Thursday, 13 September on 6PR
with Rob Broadfield and Hon Ken Travers.
[See papers 5238 and 5239.]
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