Page 340 - Week 01 - Thursday, 16 February 2012
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
Mr Hanson: Mr Speaker, on a point of order, she is finally getting to the very specific question about bike racks, not about a broader public transport strategy or plan. Whether the government supports it or not, it is about bike racks.
MR SPEAKER: Chief Minister, the bike racks issue, thank you.
MS GALLAGHER: If the opposition do not want to listen to my answers then they should not ask the question in the first place. A minister is able to put context around a question that has been asked, and that is exactly what I am doing. The issue of bike racks on buses relates to the entire public transport strategy and the integrated transport strategy. It cannot be seen in isolation.
The answer to the question: are we supportive of bike racks on buses and are we supportive of more bike racks on buses? Yes, we are. Do we want to see improvements in public transport? Yes, we do. Do we want to see more people using public transport? Yes, we do. Do we want to make it easier for people to use public transport? Yes, we do.
I think all of that is very clear. Again, the policy lightweights over there do not have any view about this. The road engineer, Mr Coe, decided with a swipe of his pen that a bus lane was to become a T2 without any analysis. That is not the way that we make decisions. Yes, there will be challenges at times about how we improve public transport. There have been some issues raised around the installation of bike racks on buses. We will work through all of those. Overall, we are very proud of the work we have done and the work that we will continue to do, and I do not apologise at all if Mr Hanson does not like the answer.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Coe, a supplementary.
MR COE: Chief Minister, given that the policy of installing more bike racks is essentially on hold and given that it was an initiative in the sustainable transport plan, what other commitments in that document will you be backflipping on?
MS GALLAGHER: I refer the member to my previous answer around this government’s continued and very serious investment in public transport, in stark contrast to any policy announcements from the Canberra Liberals, whose only transport announcement is to let cars use dedicated bus lanes.
MR HARGREAVES: A supplementary, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Hargreaves.
MR HARGREAVES: When the Chief Minister comes back, would she please advise the Assembly in relation to the original funding for the bike rack program. Did the government receive support from the opposition and the entire Assembly over the provision of additional budget funds for that bike rack program?
MS GALLAGHER: I am happy to provide that information to the Assembly as well.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video