Page 2079 - Week 07 - Thursday, 4 June 2015
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redevelopment of Northbourne Avenue as an economic benefit can Mr Corbell make this project scrape into the positive—leaving out the fact that this redevelopment can occur whether light rail is built or not. This government knows it can only occur with the mass resettlement of hundreds of families pushed away from essential services and proximity to the city for the sole reason of making way for light rail. Even then, the BCR is only 1.2. Almost any other project the government could choose would provide a better economic return and create more jobs—sustainable, long-term jobs that stay in the ACT.
What is even more telling is what this government will not talk about. They do not talk about when the trees on Northbourne Avenue are going to be cut down. They fail to mention how much rates will increase for those along the transport corridor. They avoid at all costs any mention of how many buses and other services will be cancelled to force people onto the tram. They do not talk about the massive hikes in car parking fees and fines for car drivers to force them onto a tram that for many is simply not an option. They do not point out that this so-called “suburban budget” puts $8 million into the suburbs while at the same time promising $375 million in capital to light rail—and that is on top of tens of millions of dollars of recurrent funding in this budget and the millions that have already been spent.
That sums up light rail. It is not a transport solution, it is not an economic solution and it is not a suburban solution. It is a political solution. It is the price of government. We know it, the government knows it and the people of Canberra know it. Light rail was not asked for, it is not wanted, it is not needed, and it is not legitimate. There is no possible way in any reasonable sense that Mr Barr or anyone on the government benches can claim a legitimate mandate for this project. The promise taken to the last election, and costed by Treasury, was for $30 million—just $30 million.
At the end of the day, it is not for me, and it is not for Mr Barr or Mr Rattenbury, to say whether there is or there is not a mandate. It is for the people of the ACT to claim that mandate. I can tell you, from the amount of anger and resentment in the community, that this project was not properly promoted, accepted or approved. The anger in the streets is palpable and utterly understandable.
That is why I told this government not to take the ACT in this direction. That is why I told this government to listen to the people and let them decide. I am sure that when the Greens and Labor struck their deal to go ahead with this project, they were pretty confident at the time that they would be well on the way to construction by this point. They have spent the entire time hoping that by the time the next election comes around, it would all be too late. Madam Speaker, it is not too late. It is not too late to turn away from this folly. It is not too late to seek and receive a genuine mandate from the people for light rail.
The election campaign is now a little over 12 months away. It will be easy to simply refrain from committing the ACT to this path until the people have spoken. I say again: Mr Barr, do not sign this territory up to this project without the support of the people. Let the people have their say. Why not? What is Mr Barr scared of? Is he scared of the people now that they really know how much they are going to pay and how little they will get?
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