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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 2 Hansard (28 February) . . Page.. 377 ..

MR WHITECROSS (continuing):

are before we go down this route. It is too simplistic just to say, "There is a lane; I have a car; why can I not drive my car in that lane?". We have to have an integrated approach which gives a proper balance to the role - - -

Mr Hird: You can do it coming out of Tuggeranong but you cannot do it coming out of Belconnen?

MR WHITECROSS: As I have already explained to Mr Hird, it is a different situation.

Mr Berry: You need only three fingers. There are three lanes in a lot of the others and two in the rest. It is pretty simple.

MR WHITECROSS: Mr Berry correctly explains that three is more than two and therefore there is less reason to open up a bus lane in a three-lane road than there is in a two-lane road. It comes down to this: Before we do something that will compromise our public transport system, that will add to the running times, we ought to have the proper - - -

Mr De Domenico: But you do not know that.

MR WHITECROSS: You do not know that either.

Mr De Domenico: Yes, I do.

MR WHITECROSS: No, you do not. Mr De Domenico, you just said that you did not know, so I would not say now that you do know. We do not know what is going to happen to the running times. We ought to have that information before we have these sorts of consultations. It is not just a matter of consulting with the Transport Workers Union. It is a matter of consulting with ACTION management. It is a matter of consulting with the Assembly about whether - - -

Mr Hird: That is what I thought we were doing now.

MR WHITECROSS: Mr Hird thinks this is consultation with the Assembly, which shows the depth of his appreciation of the concept of consultation. Consultation, Mr Hird, is when you come with information and you explain the pros and cons of something, not just when you move a three-line motion saying, "Let us open up the transit lanes". That is not consultation, Mr Hird.

Mr De Domenico: You were against opening up Athllon Drive as well.

Mr Hird: You were against that in the first place.

MR SPEAKER: Order! Mr Whitecross has the floor.

Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, I draw your attention to standing order 207.

MR SPEAKER: Continue, Mr Whitecross.

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