Page 4060 - Week 13 - Thursday, 6 December 2007
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I was at a meeting just last night where there were some significant transport experts from Victoria—significant transport experts. They were saying that mass passenger transit by bus is exponentially better and cheaper than light rail.
Mrs Dunne: Oh—
MR HARGREAVES: Mrs Dunne chortles away. She chortles—in fact, she is the only person I know who can chortle. She is probably the best chortler this place has had.
MR SPEAKER: Never mind.
MR HARGREAVES: The fact of the matter is that the busway land provision needs to be made; it has been made. Mr Seselja can thrash around as much as he likes but the fact is that he is out of date with his own policies. What we are doing is consistent with the sustainable transport plan. We are doing things that the philosophy—
Mrs Dunne: No, it’s not.
Mr Seselja: If you can’t do it, say so. Can’t you read it, John?
MR SPEAKER: Order! Mr Hargreaves, resume your seat. The opposition will cease interjecting.
MR HARGREAVES: Thank you very much. They are scurrying around like a pack of giggling cockroaches. When the sustainable transport plan was put down, it was put down with an incredible vision—a vision that we respect and we espouse. The question is: when can we do these things? We would love to have light rail. Can we do it? No. We do not have $890 million about our person—last time I looked anyway. But what we can do is plan for and make provision for the future. That is exactly what the busway transit corridor is all about. That is what our future planning is all about. Of course, these guys opposite would say, “Look, it is medium priority. Why don’t you do it by next Thursday at half past four in the afternoon?”
Mr Seselja: It is actually short term. You have to listen.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Seselja, I warn you.
MR HARGREAVES: It is becoming of the government to look at the plans that we have from time to time. What we can do we do do; what we cannot do we make provision for into the future. That is exactly it. Mr Corbell and I are united in where we want to be in the future. In fact, when I took over responsibility I actually took on those visions and have to the best of my ability attempted to bring in budgetary provisions to make sure that they come off.
MR SESELJA: I have a supplementary question. Minister, could you point to the part of the Liberal Party platform or policy where there is support expressed for the Civic to Belconnen busway, a claim made by you on radio 2CC this week?
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