Page 724 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 19 March 2019

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targeted at making sure that the business model that the criminal gangs are using and have as their motivation is undermined and pulled apart. That is how we will continue to work in that area.

Again, I affirm ACT Policing for their extremely effective, disruptive work. As the Minister for Police and Emergency Services has already indicated, approximately half of the known members of outlaw motorcycle gangs in the ACT are currently in custody or before the courts.

MR HANSON: Attorney-General, is it officially the government’s position that our streets are actually safer without anti-consorting laws than they would be with anti-consorting laws?

MR RAMSAY: I thank the shadow attorney-general for his question. It is the view of this government that the community is a safe community. What we will do is ensure that the powers that are given to Policing are effective powers and not conservative political grandstanding scare powers.

Transport—rail services

MS CODY: My question is to the Chief Minister. Chief Minister, what action has the ACT government taken to help get a faster rail service for Canberra passengers and freight between Canberra and Sydney?

MR BARR: I thank Ms Cody for the question. We have been working on this project for a number of years, in collaboration with surrounding local government areas and the Canberra Region Joint Organisation, and working with the New South Wales government, the New South Wales opposition, the federal government and the federal opposition. We have put forward a very strong case to both national and state-level colleagues in New South Wales and in the federal arena, across the party-political divide, to seek improvements to the Canberra-Sydney rail corridor.

We have committed funding of $5 million towards a detailed business case to prioritise upgrades to the current service. In partnership with the New South Wales government, we have put forward a joint submission to the federal government, as part of their faster rail project fund. We look forward to further announcements of funding towards the Canberra-Sydney rail corridor as we get closer to the New South Wales state election this weekend, and the federal election in coming months.

MS CODY: Chief Minister, what have been the results of the ACT government’s commitments and advocacy for improvements to the rail?

MR BARR: We have been very clear and focused in bringing together a coalition of supporters for the project across the region and across the party political divide. I stood on Queanbeyan railway station with the Deputy Premier and National Party member John Barilaro as well as representatives from the New South Wales opposition and various federal representatives, and have raised this issue with both sides of federal politics.


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