Page 547 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 21 February 2018
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Seeking clarity, I asked if that meant that the feasibility study had been added into the AECOM study of Tillyard Drive. Her one word response: yes. I have with me the AECOM study of Tillyard Drive. It does not include the feasibility study of this intersection. In fact, it specifically excludes it. But what it does include are some of the statistics that I mentioned in my previous talk that the minister thought that I was wrong about. Had she read the report, she would have known that the statistics I had mentioned in my talk were true. I also got it from the questions on notice that I asked.
What happened to the study of the intersection? Did the minister mislead the committee? Today I have given the government the opportunity to share with the people of this territory that feasibility study, one which Canberrans asked and paid for. What have those opposite offered? More delay. According to the minister, she has this feasibility study in hand. She even chose to refer to it in question time last week. I can think of no legitimate reason not to table it today. Is the government that afraid of transparency? To me, it appears that the minister has demonstrated today that she does not trust her fellow Canberrans to have access to this study information before she and the rest of the government first figure out how to respond to it. Her amendment to this motion already shows that she is willing to delete troubling facts and figures.
I have given the government the opportunity to actually make a promise that means something by committing to the funding of traffic safety measures recommended by experts. What have they given? More empty promises that they will consider a study and potential, not guaranteed, traffic improvements. Clearly the minister does not see this issue as a matter of any urgency, unlike my constituents, who see it literally as a matter of life and death.
I have given the government the opportunity to stop putting off the concerns of those who live in my electorate by providing a specific date by which these traffic safety measures will be implemented. What has the Labor-Greens government agreed to? Nothing. In fact, we do not know anymore whether the government will actually install traffic lights—only that they will think about it. Considering how long Canberrans have been demanding improvements to this intersection, this is almost worse than silence.
I am especially disappointed in the response from my Labor colleagues in the Ginninderra electorate. I have had constituents tell me how much they had hoped that Ms Cheyne, Ms Berry and Mr Ramsay would join me today in getting something concrete done for them and for their families. They have failed that today. It would seem that they are content to say a few words in this chamber or ask a few questions and then they have done their jobs. When it comes to the real work of keeping drivers safe, it would appear that they are afraid of making a commitment. I wonder what they have to say to those who have been injured at the intersection and what they have to say to those who may be involved in future accidents. Will they have the courage to say, “I’m sorry. I didn’t vote to have the traffic lights installed as a matter of urgency because my party wouldn’t let me”?
I am confident that the residents of west Belconnen who regularly drive out of their way in order to avoid the hazardous intersection of Tillyard and Ginninderra drives
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