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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 383 asked in the Legislative Assembly on 16 June 2022 by Mr R.S. Love

Parliament: 41 Session: 1

DOWERIN TRAIN STATION — DEMOLITION

383. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Minister for Transport:

I refer to the demolition of Dowerin train station, which commenced this week on 13 June.

(1) As notice of the demolition was given only on 6 June, can the minister detail what community consultation was done on this decision and when?

(2) Can the minister detail why the Public Transport Authority demolished this asset?

Ms R. SAFFIOTI replied:

(1)–(2) I am afraid I do not have all the information in front of me, but let us talk about regional rail for a second. I will get to the information, member. Let us talk about regional rail, shall we? Shall we talk about a party that sold off regional rail freight in Western Australia?

Several members interjected.

Ms R. SAFFIOTI: Let us talk about that. Let us talk about the Nationals WA that has constantly turned its back on regional Western Australians. Let us talk about a National Party that privatised regional rail and then went and shut lines just to top it off.

Point of Order

Dr D.J. HONEY: I know sometimes there is some latitude, but this answer has nothing whatsoever to do with the question asked by the member for Moore.

The SPEAKER: That is your opinion. I am not upholding that point of order. I ask the minister to answer the question. The question relates to regional rail.

Questions without Notice Resumed

Ms R. SAFFIOTI: I will go through it. Let us talk about a party that sold it off and then shut it down. Now we are there working. I met representatives from some regional councils this week and from Co-operative Bulk Handling Ltd to talk about what we need to do to work together to reverse the undoing of regional rail that members opposite commenced. I remember winning government in 2017 and the Leader of the Opposition —

Several members interjected.

The SPEAKER: Order, please! Deputy Leader of the Opposition, at this stage you are going to be getting the opportunity to ask a supplementary question. This is going to be a very long answer if we get continued interjections from your side, and if we do that, you will forgo your opportunity to ask a supplementary.

Ms R. SAFFIOTI: I remember one of the first decisions I had to make when I was minister in 2017 when we won government. The PTA came and told me all the decisions that were made by the previous government. One was to shut down the AvonLink and to replace it with buses.

Mr P. Papalia interjected.

Ms R. SAFFIOTI: No, it was its decision as a coalition government. Its decision was to shut the AvonLink. The first thing I had to do was to beg in a time of very tight budget considerations to reverse that decision because I said I was not going to be a Minister for Transport who shut rail services. After the National Party sold Westrail Freight, shut rail lines, it was going to shut down the AvonLink.

Mr R.S. Love interjected.

Ms R. SAFFIOTI: It was true. I am not going to be lectured about rail by the National Party in this state. I am not going to be lectured by the National Party on anything to do with regional WA. Where is the Leader of the Opposition because she was —

Several members interjected.

The SPEAKER: Order, please!

Ms R. SAFFIOTI: The Leader of the Opposition—unfortunately, she is not here today and was not here yesterday—in cabinet endorsed the decision to shut the AvonLink.

As I understand, notice was given in relation to the Dowerin train station. I am looking at the post here in relation to works being undertaken at the Dowerin train station. The member should not come in here and say that no notice was given when he knows notice was given.