Page 1867 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 14 June 1994
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
You all made a fuss when BP Red Hill closed, and your mates who publish the Motor Trades Advocate said, "Connolly closes BP Red Hill". I have not seen them retract in their latest edition, saying, "Connolly reopens BP Red Hill", because it has reopened, Madam Speaker. I will produce that as well. There always has been an intention to close some stations. I would not be surprised to see the industry close some stations and try to blame me for it. The bottom line, Madam Speaker, is that this Labor Government has brought petrol prices down, and the Liberal Party, if they were in office, would be working with the oil companies and seeing Canberra motorists continue to pay in the mid-seventies for their petrol.
Speedrail Project
MRS GRASSBY: My question is to the Chief Minister. Can the Chief Minister tell the house what the Government is doing to encourage the Speedrail proposal?
MS FOLLETT: I thank Mrs Grassby for the question, Madam Speaker. As a government, we are always interested in improving the transport links between this Territory and New South Wales.
Mr Kaine: You are always interested in social justice too.
MS FOLLETT: As Mr Kaine comments, quite correctly, I am always interested in social justice, and I act upon it as well. Madam Speaker, the Government was also a strong supporter of the original very fast train proposal. It should come as no surprise that we would look favourably on successor proposals. I have met with Mr Dale Budd, the managing director of Speedrail Pty Ltd, and also with the representatives of the joint partners in that project. We have discussed it in some detail.
There are some advantages to this project that the VFT did not have. The major advantage is that Speedrail would not be relying on tax breaks, which, as members will recall, was the ultimate undoing of the VFT. If the Speedrail project does go ahead it will have some enormous benefits for this Territory. One of those benefits would be the creation of some 35,000 jobs, and some of those would be right here in the ACT. That would be a huge boost to our employment. In addition, it would be a major boost to investment in this region. It would also be a drawcard for tourism into the Territory. This is particularly important with the Sydney Olympics coming up in the year 2000. I think it would be a significant advantage in our efforts for the Territory to obtain, for instance, the status of a training base for a number of sports and also to get visitors to stay in the Territory while attending the Olympics. This kind of a link could be a real boost there.
Madam Speaker, the Speedrail consortium is now about to undertake a pre-feasibility study, which will cost over $500,000. That study will provide much more detailed information on the viability of Speedrail. As a government, we have committed some $50,000 towards that study, and the Commonwealth also has committed $50,000. I was very pleased to know that members opposite have expressed support for the Speedrail proposal. I wish that they could persuade their New South Wales counterparts to be equally supportive. I have written to Premier Fahey on a couple of occasions.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .