Page 850 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 6 April 2022
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How many cars do you reckon that equates to, Mr Assistant Speaker? How many cars do you think would have gone off the road while people got onto buses? What do you reckon? 4,300 passengers a day, state-wide, is what we are talking about, and that is just in the first week of this rollout. I would concede that there were some problems with some cancellation of services, but that is a stunning result. A 13 per cent increase in patronage in just the first week of this scenario in Tasmania; 4,300 cars off the road in the first week. That is a staggering result.
What an amazing line in the sand for Tasmanians where the government said, “Yes, the pandemic is lingering, but it’s time to get back to normal as soon as we possibly can,” and they are doing it, just like most other workplaces are doing it. You do not see Kmart closing the doors at four, do you? They are finding a way to get on with it. For how long are we going to have an interim timetable? For how long are we, in this territory—and when I say “we”, I guess I mean them; how long is the government—going to blame COVID for the non-delivery of services?
I can see us in the chamber two years from now, and this minister and every other minister will be blaming COVID for everything that is going wrong here in the ACT. I am sure that Labor and the Greens will still be blaming COVID years from now. It is time for us to get back to the full timetable. It is time for us to throw a line of support to struggling Canberra families and cut them some slack in regard to public transport fees.
I know that Mr Steel has been quoted in the Canberra Times regarding the amendment that I saw 10 minutes ago. I know that the amendment was drafted a long time ago, more than 24 hours ago, so it is pleasing that I did get to see it before commencing the debate, and I thank the minister for that. The minister is quoted in the Canberra Times as saying that public transport fares are not all that high. I think you have to compare the cost of public transport and put the petrol price in as well. When you see the change with people getting out of their cars and getting onto the bus, that is where you will see the improvement to the bottom line of household budgets.
Ben McHugh from the directorate was on ABC Radio this morning regarding this motion. He indicated that the difference between the full timetable and the interim timetable is not significant. I note that in the amendment Mr Steel details that at some length. I would say to the minister: if your bus is missing, if the bus that you want to catch is not there, it has a significant impact on you. The impact on the consumer whose buses are not travelling is quite significant.
Apart from those things that absolutely fit its agenda, I am sick of this government coming up with reasons that it cannot do something. This motion calls upon the government to stand up and deliver the sort of services that the public would expect you to deliver, and then go beyond it and provide relief to struggling families by making the bus free.
I have had discussions with Ms Clay about this motion. I know Ms Clay; I know that there is a big part of her that would love to support it in its original form, and I do appreciate our genuine engagement on matters like this. I know that there is a big part
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