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

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 12 Hansard (12 November) . . Page.. 3997 ..

MR CORBELL (continuing):

a bus route so that they could use the bus - just once a week, to get to town, to get out of the home, to go and do some shopping, to have a meal, to connect with the rest of our community, instead of being isolated at home. ACTION cut their service, presumably because the route was not financially viable. This happened at the beginning of this year.

Mr Speaker, when I raised the sisters' case in my first speech in the Assembly this year, Mr Kaine said, "Now that Mr Corbell has raised this issue, I will have ACTION look at it". I am sorry to report, Mr Speaker, that those two sisters are still unable to catch a bus, unless they are prepared to take a 30-minute walk uphill to the nearest bus stop. Mr Speaker, that is indicative of this Government's failure to address the problems in ACTION and it is indicative of the old, worn out and tired approach of this old, worn out and tired Minister.

Mr Kaine: That is ageist. I am going to take you to the Discrimination Commissioner.

MR CORBELL: Mr Speaker, this is just an example of nothing happening. Public transport is a key environmental issue. Mr Speaker, I know that Mr Kaine enjoys standing up in this place and suggesting that young whippersnappers like me have no role to play in this Assembly; but I want to assure Mr Kaine that I intend to be here well after he has gone and I want to assure Mr Kaine that, when he fails to address issues of public transport in this city, I am going to stand up on behalf of my constituents and make sure that he is aware of exactly the problems he is facing and exactly the problems his Government has caused.

Mr Speaker, public transport is also a very important environmental issue. The average Australian car emits into the atmosphere each year four tonnes of carbon dioxide. The Government's failure to provide effective and responsive public transport services in this city has led to increased car use, and that means increased greenhouse gas emissions. This Government has simply failed to understand the environmental consequences of its policy of cutting ACTION. Unfortunately, this shows up not only in the approach of the Minister for Urban Services on ACTION but also in the attitude of the Minister for the Environment towards greenhouse gases. A couple of months ago, the Minister for the Environment stood up in this Assembly and said, "I do not really think greenhouse gases are a problem. The evidence is unclear". This Minister refuses to accept the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which is a United Nations organisation, that there is clear evidence that the activities of human beings are making a difference to our environment and are contributing to global warming. That is something which the Minister for the Environment has failed to recognise - except, I must say, Mr Speaker, when it comes to getting his photo on a pamphlet about global warming - and which the Minister for Urban Services has failed to recognise, as evidenced by his and his Government's continued attempts to pare back the public transport system.

Mr Speaker, this debate is not just about the last year, when Trevor Kaine was Minister for Urban Services, although he would like us to believe that everything is sweet and rosy now because he is a Minister and he is doing the right thing. This debate is also about the last almost three years of this Government. I want to highlight some of the activities of the Carnell Government prior to Mr Kaine becoming Minister. In March 1995, at the very beginning of their term, they reneged on the promise of free school buses.

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