Page 3558 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 24 November 2021
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
statutory appointments in accordance with continuing resolution 5A. I inform the Assembly that during the period 1 January 2021 to 30 June 2021 the standing committee and its equivalent committee in the Ninth Assembly considered no statutory appointments.
Appropriation Bill 2021-2022
[Cognate bill:
Appropriation (Office of the Legislative Assembly) Bill 2021-2022
Cognate papers:
Standing Committee Reports on Appropriation Bill 2021-2022 and Appropriation (Office of the Legislative Assembly) Bill 2021-2022]
Detail stage
Schedule 1—Appropriations—Proposed expenditure.
Debate resumed from 23 November 2021.
Part 1.6—Transport Canberra and City Services Directorate—Proposed expenditure.
MADAM SPEAKER: Members, I remind you all that in debating the order of the day No 1, executive business, you may also address remarks to executive business order of the day No 2. The question before us is that the proposed expenditure for the Transport Canberra and City Services Directorate, part 1.6, be agreed to.
MR PARTON (Brindabella) (10.04): This Appropriation Bill is something of a milestone for the territory for it enables the government to kick off some significant new things and, as it is sometimes said in marriage vows, these could be for better or for worse. The operating statement for Transport Canberra tells us that a little over $207 million has been appropriated for transport services. I am advised that almost $192 million of this represents a community service obligation to operate bus and light rail services. I think it is the same as the government paying for the service without full recompense.
There is also capital funding put aside in this budget to start elevating London Circuit to get the light rail to Commonwealth Park and Woden ultimately. This will be a headline, for various reasons, for a fair while. It is fascinating that there was a social media announcement from the ACT government earlier in the week about this where they barely even mentioned light rail as a catalyst for this part of the project. It was presented as something that was being done to improve accessibility and connectivity. It was almost as though, were we not doing the light rail extension, we may be raising London Circuit just for the other reasons. I still cannot get my head around the fact that that would be the case, but I note the minister is nodding.
In his budget speech, the Chief Minister said this was a full throttle budget that will get the economy moving again. I think it is a handy analogy for there are many aspects of government services that need a bit more throttle. I think public transport would be a large contender. We should not be too negative. Measures to procure electric vehicles for public transport obviously are a very good thing, as is the
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video