Page 4173 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 24 October 2018

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debate. I look forward to hearing the community’s and community organisations’ views on that bill.

MS LAWDER: Minister, which is crueller: impounding a dangerous dog or allowing innocent Canberrans and their pets to be mauled by dangerous dogs?

Ms Berry: Madam Speaker, a point of order, that question is asking the minister for an expression of—

Ms Lawder: Which he did give to the Canberra Times, I must say.

MADAM SPEAKER: I am going to allow the question. Again, every day some of the questions are asking for an opinion. There is lots of preamble and I will call it at times. But, minister, on your feet to answer the question.

MR STEEL: I reject the premise of the question.

MR PARTON: Minister, are you saying that if there is any increase in the number of dangerous dogs, as seems to be the trend, you will not have adequate resources to deal with that increase?

MR STEEL: No. We have increased resources to Domestic Animal Services through an increased number of animal rangers at our DAS facility. Of course, if there were a change to legislation which were to mean a massive increase in the number of dogs that were required to be seized during an investigation, then that would have an impact on the resources of the directorate.

ACTION bus service—network

MR PETTERSSON: My question is to the Minister for Transport. Minister, can you inform the Assembly how the new bus network that you announced last week will benefit Canberrans?

MS FITZHARRIS: I thank Mr Pettersson for the question and I am delighted to update the Assembly on how the new bus network, announced recently following extensive community consultation, has resulted in an updated bus network for our city. It is the biggest investment in buses in decades in Canberra so we can get more Canberrans catching the bus.

A number of changes have been made to the new network, which will be complemented by a range of services to support bus travellers, thanks to the community’s feedback. The new network of buses, with light rail, will make it easier for Canberrans to get where they want to go, offering a genuine alternative to driving seven days a week, including, importantly, more services in the evenings on Saturdays and Sundays.

At the moment, only about four per cent of trips around our city are on public transport, compared to 78 per cent by private vehicles. We simply must change this.


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