Page 3544 - Week 08 - Thursday, 18 August 2011
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In the brief time I have left, I would like to reiterate that this is a very important debate. It is a debate about what we are doing in the future. Are we planning Canberra for the past when roads were the dominant form of transport or are we planning Canberra for the future, which will be a much more interesting transport future? It will be one where roads are part of the solution but not the only part. There will be public transport. There will be walking. There will be cycling. There will be an appropriate range of transport options. (Time expired.)
MR COE (Ginninderra) (4.01): This is, indeed, a very important issue that we are discussing today. I am very pleased that Mr Seselja did nominate it. It is, of course, one that is close to my heart, given that I am the shadow minister for transport services and shadow minister for urban services in this place.
I think Canberra and Canberrans have been let down by this government when it comes to the delivery of core infrastructure, especially when it comes to roads. This government seems not to recognise that cars are part of Canberra, they are part of how Canberrans live, and they are always going to be a part of how Canberrans live. No matter what happens with technology, cars are here to stay.
It is so disappointing that the ideological mission of some of those opposite and on the crossbench does restrict this government’s ability to deliver for the people in my electorate and, indeed, in the other electorates in the ACT that desperately want high quality roads and adequate parking in addition to all the other areas of core business that a government should be delivering upon.
It is interesting that once again Ms Le Couteur talks about peak oil. It seems that there can be no speech that Ms Le Couteur delivers that does not include reference to peak oil. Looking through the orders of the day for today I see the Statute Law Amendment Bill 2011. I reckon we are going to see peak oil getting a run in there and maybe even in the debate on the Evidence (Miscellaneous Provisions) Amendment Bill 2011. Somehow it will get woven in, but we will see.
That is so much the case that Ms Le Couteur thought it befitting to include me on a Facebook post of hers back on 17 April this year at 1.31 pm, to be precise. It says:
Caroline Le Couteur via Caroline Le Couteur MLA ACT Greens
Her comment is:
Last week in the Assembly, Alistair Coe said, “What the car represents is a family. It is a family that lives in the outer suburbs of Tuggeranong or Belconnen.”
She goes on to comment:
I hadn’t realized it was that clear for the Liberals.
Then she continues:
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