Page 2446 - Week 06 - Thursday, 23 June 2011
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park—and we have seen the cost of that car park blowing out considerably. In addition we have seen $5 million wasted on a busway that will never see the light of day and another $5 million wasted on the FireLink project that never got off the ground. These are more examples of the competence and leadership of this government.
Moving on to ACTION buses, remember network 08? It was meant to reform the ACTION bus network. Phase 1 failed and was eventually withdrawn and modified. Three years later, we are still waiting to see phase 2. The government is unable to resolve industrial action. We have the highest driver-to-bus ratios in the country, and an 80 per cent government subsidy is paid for eight per cent patronage by the Canberra population, and we have 12,000 kilometres per day dead running. That is an example of the competence and leadership of this government.
Turning to the Majura parkway, which is a very sensitive issue in this place, the ALP government here has committed $144 million for half a road on a gamble that the commonwealth will fund the other half. If the commonwealth does not come to the party, we are going to be in big strife and we will not have a road. That is an example of the competence and leadership of this government.
In the area of education we have seen this week that the government’s process-driven culture has offended 1,500 teachers who were prepared to sign a petition and have it tabled in this place, but, according to the minister, that is tough. There was a secret report that resulted in the closure of 32 schools with no public consultation. There were backflips on the efficiency dividend policy. There have been calls from members of this government for the defunding of non-government schools because they are seen as divisive. Ministers have said one thing in cabinet and another in their party forums. The highest proportion of high school students in Australia are attending non-government schools and that figure looks like growing. Almost half of all students in the ACT attend private schools. That is an example of competence and leadership from this government.
In relation to the ESA headquarters, we see that the original budget was $13 million. The final cost was $75 million. It was delivered late. There were years of leased but unoccupied space. And when we finally occupied the space, soon after it was flooded. The ESA had to rescue themselves and they have not been back. That is an example of the competence and leadership of this government. The Rural Fire Service sheds cost $800,000, but you cannot drive your vehicles into the shed and then get out of the vehicles.
With the north Canberra urban waterways—so close to the heart of Mr Corbell that he thought that I was asking about that today when I was asking him about something else—the original budget was $13 million. Now the costs have risen to over $21 million, plus $10 million provided by the commonwealth—so $31 million. There has been no cost-benefit analysis of this scheme and the government has no idea what price will be charged for the water that is produced in this system. The reticulation pipes were too small and we had to design the thing from the ground up again. That is an example of competence and leadership from this government.
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