Page 2138 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 8 May 2012
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I think we all agree that roads are a matter of public importance to the ACT. But the problem with the Liberal Party and how they are painting this picture is that it does not seem to be about other kinds of transport infrastructure. I do agree and I recognise, as does the Chief Minister, that this is a complex issue. We recognise that as well but we do have to look at the whole picture of the sort of infrastructure we have in the city.
It is interesting, especially in the context of comments made by Senator Gary Humphries yesterday. Senator Humphries yesterday criticised the ACT government for “failing to invest in public transport in the capital”. That comment does not make a lot of sense when it is held up against some of what the Canberra Liberals have been saying in particular when there has been, I have to say, quite some hostility, particularly towards the Greens when we have raised the idea of public transport in the ACT.
We have taken various initiatives to try to improve transport in Canberra, especially around public and sustainable transport and active transport, an issue that my colleague Ms Le Couteur has pursued. But we have seen the opposition and the government vote against a couple of the initiatives and motions we have had around this.
For example, the Liberals and the government voted against my motion that would have recognised that public transport services in the ACT needed significant improvement and that called for greater priority of public transport funding commitments. That would have been a great way for the Canberra Liberals to support Senator Humphries’ call for greater public transport investment.
On top of that, we recently had both the government and the Liberals vote against the Greens motions that would have advanced sustainable rail projects in the ACT and that would have improved and increased parking for people with disabilities. It seems that every time we talk about improving sustainable transport in the ACT, we are attacked in particular by the Liberals for actually suggesting this. I would like to quote Mr Hanson, for example, when I raised the need for better public transport to ease the cost pressures that are associated with having a city that is dependent on cars. He said:
It is bizarre that the Greens all of a sudden are starting to talk about the cost pressures of driving cars. If you are going to put a bus on every corner or a train route from every suburb into Civic, I would like to add up the cost of that.
He went on to say:
… it will be monumentally expensive … they have this view that everybody should be able to catch a bus that is going to drive past their corner every five minutes. It is fanciful, and we know that the cost of that is simply unaffordable for the people of the ACT.
But, as I said, this is actually about looking at the full picture. We recognise that roads and car travel are a part, and will be a central part, of the ACT but we have got to actually start providing choice to people in the way they move about the city. Also, every other city in Australia is investing in different sorts of public transport and
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