Page 625 - Week 02 - Thursday, 20 February 2020

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We will have more to say about that before too long. At this rate, we will have a lot more to say about that before those opposite, who would have torn down building 3 at Canberra Hospital where the hydrotherapy pool is currently located. That was their 2016 electoral policy, to tear down building 3: no hydrotherapy pool at Canberra Hospital under them, Madam Speaker, and no commitment to a hydrotherapy pool. It is all talk, no commitment; just a lot of blah-blah-blah from those opposite.

Transport Canberra—bus stops

MR WALL: Madam Speaker, my question is to the Minister for Transport. Minister, with the failed network 19, how many bus stops have now been removed from Canberra suburbs and what has been the cost of doing this?

MR STEEL: I thank the member for his question. There was a significant redesign of the bus network with network 19. That has meant that new bus stops have been opened and some have been closed, many of which remain in situ. Some of those bus stops will be reactivated with the changes that we will be further making in term 2 and so will come back on line. Of course, we will continue to make changes to the bus network going forward based on capacity issues and based on the changing nature of the city and its growth.

Mr Wall: Point of order, Madam Speaker.

MADAM SPEAKER: Resume your seat, please, minister.

Mr Wall: On relevance, could the minister answer the specific question, which was: “How many bus stops were removed and what was the cost?”

MADAM SPEAKER: The minister spoke about removal and replacement costs.

Mr Wall: He said they were removed, but the question was about how many.

MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Wall, the minister is on the policy question and he has over a minute to reply.

MR STEEL: I believe I have already provided those figures to the opposition on notice.

MR WALL: Again to be explicit, how many bus stops were removed? What was the cost? Further to that, how many bus stops need to be reinstated as a part of the network changes, and what is the estimated cost of that?

MR STEEL: I will take that as the supplementary rather than a restating of the first question, and I have already answered that one on notice to the opposition in relation to the number of bus stops and—

Mrs Jones: On a point of order, I am seeking your advice, Madam Speaker: is it acceptable for a minister to not at all answer the question because he claims to have answered it once in the past?


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