Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 6 Hansard (18 June) . . Page.. 1721 ..

MR WHITECROSS (continuing):

Mr Speaker, the justification of the Government for allowing Deane's to set down and pick up passengers within the ACT was that ACTION was not providing a service on that route. But it seems to me that this goes to the nub of the problem. This Government has cut back services consistently over the last 21/2 years, and then it uses the fact that there is no service as a justification for allowing a private operator to pick up and set down on that route. Mr Speaker, I think that it would sit much better with the Government's professed commitment to the principles outlined in the Graham report and with its professed commitment to public transport in the ACT if it investigated the feasibility of providing an ACTION service on that route, if the demand exists, for picking up and setting down passengers on the route, rather than using the Government's own cutbacks as a justification for allowing a private operator onto the route.

When we passed this motion on 31 May 1995, all we knew was the Government's worst intentions for public transport in the ACT. After 21/2 years, we have seen their worst intentions realised in a relentless attack on public transport in the ACT. We now spend $10m less than the Grants Commission says that we need to spend to provide an average service - and our service is well below average. Mr Speaker, we need strong support from this Assembly as a signal to the Government that we do not appreciate its undermining of public transport in the ACT and that we do not believe that it ought to be allowing private operators onto routes to provide regular scheduled services within the ACT. If there is a demand for those services, we have a public transport authority - ACTION - and it can provide the services. So, Mr Speaker, if the demand for the service is there, let Canberra's public transport system provide the service. We do not need to allow private operators to provide regular scheduled services in the ACT.

If the Government wants us to change our mind on that, let it do the feasibility study first. Let it come to us with a detailed justification. Let us not have a situation where the Government says, "Let us go in blind and try this and see whether it makes any difference". We heard that argument some time back about 4.00 am closing, and then we got a report which showed that what Labor had been saying all along was right. We heard that argument about shopping hours, and then we received a report which said that what Labor had been saying all along was right. The problem with this Government is that it never wants to do the work up front before it makes a decision. The Government always says, "We will make the decision and then we will see whether it was the right one later". Mr Speaker, if they want to introduce a private operator in the ACT, let them demonstrate why the service cannot be provided by ACTION. Let them demonstrate why it needs to be done.

Mr Speaker, the Government has the ball in its court. That is what this resolution was about on 31 May 1995. That is why I am calling on the Assembly to reaffirm it today. The ball should be in the Government's court to justify and persuade us, rather than allowing it to continue to undermine the public transport system in the ACT. They cannot be trusted with our public transport system. We need to ensure that they are not given carte blanche to undermine the public transport system now.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .