Page 3737 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 29 October 2014

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DR BOURKE (Ginninderra) (11.38), in reply: I thank my learned colleagues, including Mr Rattenbury, for their support for my motion. I begin by having to draw attention to Mr Coe’s rather sloppy use of words and his failure to understand that “forensic” means legally related, in the context of perhaps forensic medicine, when he really meant detailed and methodical. There was nothing in the arguments that he presented here today that was either detailed or methodical. It was sloppy and an embarrassment.

Let me talk about the failures and let me list the ways. The Canberra Liberals failed to specifically rule out plans to build a Monash Drive to accommodate traffic from Gungahlin to Civic. They failed to rule out policies which result in rat running through inner north Canberra and the Belconnen suburbs. They failed to rule out an expansion of Northbourne Avenue by building an extra two or four traffic lanes for buses or traffic. They failed to rule out policies that would force Gungahlin residents, Mr Coe’s own constituents in those southern parts of Gungahlin, to sit in congested traffic for up to two hours a day. The Canberra Liberals fail to understand the benefits beyond transport that arise from the Gungahlin to city light rail, which we have already talked about.

My colleagues talked about urban renewal, economic benefits, the city to the lake, the social and health benefits that will arise. The Liberals fail. All they could advance in argument was their intent to laugh and to make fun of people, because that is their fundamental strategy, to always play the person and never play the policy because they have no policy. They are policy bereft. They have no ideas and they are unfit, manifestly, for government in this territory. They fail to understand the value of urban uplift that comes from being within walking distance of the light rail line. They fail to advance any policy for Canberra and Canberrans to cope with Canberra’s growth to 600,000 people. This is bizarre. They want to do—

Opposition members interjecting—

Mr Corbell: On a point of order, Madam Assistant Speaker, you have drawn the opposition’s attention to the disorderly nature of their interjections. They are continuing to interject in a manner which is quite in defiance of your ruling and I would ask you to call them to order.

MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Ms Lawder): Thank you, Mr Corbell. I would like members on the opposition side to listen to Dr Bourke. When you are speaking you make it difficult for me to hear Dr Bourke, let alone anyone else. Please keep some form of order.

DR BOURKE: Thank you, Madam Assistant Speaker. Like the ostriches of legend, they just want to stick their heads in the sand and ignore what is coming. They have failed to address that future traffic congestion, that two-hour drive from Gungahlin to Civic, a congestion which we have been told will cost Canberrans up to $200 million a year. They have failed to understand the link between land use and transport infrastructure. They have failed to understand the city-shaping effect of light rail, an effect which buses do not have.


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