Page 2981 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 15 August 2018

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There are many benefits from continuing to invest in a good public transport system. There are many benefits from the investments that we have already made. We have seen, particularly since we invested in the new green and new black rapids, which started last year, significant improvements. We have seen record numbers of patronage.

Going to the policy question about how to design a complex public transport system, as those opposite should know, it is an interconnected network. If you make one change here, it has another effect. You have to be able to manage fleets, drivers, depots and shifts. You have to be able to manage the geography that we have in our city. We acknowledge that it is a difficult city to provide public transport services in, but the government’s proposal is to have 10 rapid bus services. Again I go to the point that when the rapid bus services were introduced the Canberra Liberals opposed them, as they opposed any public transport measure prior to 2016, when they were forced to recognise that public transport was good. Part of this discussion today has included that underlying sense that we have had from the Canberra Liberals previously that public transport is not quite good enough for them because it is dangerous.

The significant investments that we have made have seen record patronage on our bus network. We have seen significant growth in patronage, particularly on the rapid services. Every public transport designer in the world knows that providing rapid services is a way to drive patronage. We have seen it. The evidence is there. By all means, the Canberra Liberals can express a view put to them by many members of the community—views that I have also received, and I am not immune to. Like all of you, we all got voted in to this place because we speak to a lot of people. They continue to speak with us, and of course I know that, and I am not going to ignore it.

I would appreciate from the Canberra Liberals some recognition and some reference to some facts, which they completely ignored in virtually every speech. I now move the amendment which was circulated earlier this morning:

Omit all text after “That this Assembly”, substitute:

“(1) notes that:

(a) the ACT Government is working to deliver a city-wide integrated public transport network that can move people around our city effectively, providing a real alternative to the car;

(b) over the past two years, the ACT Government asked Canberrans to tell us what they wanted in their public transport network. Canberrans said they want:

(i) more direct routes;

(ii) more frequent and reliable services; and

(iii) increased services across both on and off peak times, including evenings and weekends;

(i) all-day, seven day services across the city, including much better services on weekends and in the evenings;

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