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public transport and public instrumentalities, and how that entrenched ideology will impact on that community obligation that should be inherent in any public transport structure. They face the test. It is in conflict with their long-term ideology on privatisation, corporatising, contracting out and all those sorts of things.

We have also seen a recent demonstration of their lack of commitment to election promises, with the Nightrider service, which has been mentioned by my colleague Mr Whitecross. That goes along with a whole lot of other election promises that have been discarded on the way. It is like following a carload of kiddies throwing out the lolly wrappers - all these promises are coming out the windows of the cars. This is a Government that has shown a lack of commitment to promises that were made just a few months ago, and I fear that public transport will be punished as a result of that. The test for the Liberals is to be more flexible in their ideology in relation to the public sector.

Mr De Domenico: We will give the people choice and flexibility.

MR BERRY: We hear the rhetoric about choice, commonsense and flexibility. Basically, what that means is that it costs more and the poor people get less.

Mr Connolly: Take the tuk-tuk or walk.

MR BERRY: Yes, take the tuk-tuk or walk. Perhaps with the ideology of the Liberals opposite we may see a jeepney or two on the road as well - all sorts of services. Our colleagues from the Greens party made great play of the damage the motor car does, and it is true that the management of the motor vehicle and its use in the general community have done a great deal of damage to the environment. There have been a lot of resources used that will never be replaced, and I suppose that we can blame our forefathers for that because no real attempt was made to address the problem. But there were great social advances as well. With the coming of the T-model Ford, ordinary people were able to break through the barrier of transport, which hitherto had been available only to the rich. The motor car, because of the flexibility it provided to the ordinary person in the work force, became somewhat idolised by the community generally. That was centred in the United States and Europe, but it pretty soon became a matter of course here in Australia. If you added up all the injuries and deaths that have occurred on our roads as a result of motor vehicle accidents, they would exceed those in the many wars that have occurred throughout the world; yet the community is still in love with the motor car. That is because of the flexibility it provides for ordinary working people.

Much of our culture in this and other countries has been based in recent times on the motor car. But how do we deal with that as an environmental problem? It really is up to legislators like us and leaders in the community to manage a new way forward which does not confront the community. Would you go out to the community tomorrow and say, “Righto, cars are out. You can drive them only on the weekend; you have to catch the bus.”? Where are the brave legislators who would say that? I do not see any in this room. There would be a revolt because the community is not ready for that. I think the community generally understand the issues we are going to have to face, but nobody wants to face them if it means losing their one or two motor cars.


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