TIER 2 MILING–TOODYAY
RAIL LINE
750. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Minister for Transport:
I have a supplementary question. I thank
the minister for that answer, but I was trying to get to the bottom of what is
happening with the Miling–Toodyay line. Can the minister explain
exactly how she will prioritise the various rail lines that are in the
Revitalising Agricultural Regional Freight Strategy and the newly announced tier
3 engineering assessments?
Ms R.
SAFFIOTI replied:
As I said, as part of the business
case analysis, we will be dealing with stakeholders, looking at the wider
economic and commercial benefits, talking to CBH Group and other key
stakeholders such as councils and so forth because that is what a proper
business case analysis does. I hope the member gets behind the work we are
doing because members of the Nationals WA
should hang their head in shame every time they walk into regional WA, because
they were part of a deal to sell those rail lines� for less than the
debt, for a quick buck to try to buy their way through the 2001 state election. I remember distinctly what was told to us at
the time. Members opposite sold it for less than they owed on it. They said
that as part of this deal, $400 million worth of upgrades would be done across
that rail network. They sold the rail line and those upgrades were never
delivered and then they closed the line next time they were in government.
Mr B.S. Wyatt: Because they
weren't maintained.
Ms
R. SAFFIOTI: They were not. I think
that what they did was one of the biggest policy failures of our generation.
As a result, we have had issues with regional safety and regional road
upgrades. We are methodically looking at the benefit costs from a strictly
transport point of view and at the wider economic and social benefits because
that is what happens with a modern business case and a modern economic
analysis. I will be working through that systematically with Infrastructure Australia.
Mr D.C. Nalder interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI: I heard what
the member for Bateman said when he said it was a shame we did not do that for
Metronet. We did. Gee! The shadow Treasurer should go and read the summary of
business cases.
Ms J.M. Freeman interjected.
The SPEAKER: Members!
Ms R. SAFFIOTI: Do you
support Multiplex —
The SPEAKER: Through the
Chair; no chatting across the table, please.
Mr D.C. Nalder interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI: Does the
member for Bateman support blocking Multiplex and Clough from bidding for WA
government jobs?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER: Members! Excuse
me. I am up here and no more noise. Minister, finish up please.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI: The summary
of PDPs are online; go and read them.
In relation to this issue, I saw
also Rick Wilson's comment today that the federal government should not
be asked to invest 80 per cent in any future upgrades. The federal government
is investing billions of dollars on inland rail over east. Why should the
federal government, particularly the National Party, which was part of a grubby
deal to sell those railway lines in the
first place, not look at investing 80 per cent in those rail upgrades? Of
course it should. If only the member was an active member of the
National Party who represented the interests of regional WA, he would have been
at the federal government's door for years asking for funding for
regional rail upgrades.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER: Members! When
you have finished, guys.