Article: Kosky faces inquiry

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Kosky faces inquiry

Kosky faces inquiry
Article from: Herald Sun

Staff writer

February 05, 2009 12:00am

THE chaos that has plagued the state's rail system and left thousands of commuters stranded in the past month is set to come under parliamentary scrutiny.

Greens MP Greg Barber today will call for a seven-member select committee to investigate the system's failures and Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky's personal failure to stop the rot.

The move comes after more than 1000 trains were cancelled in January when the Connex-operated system went into meltdown.

Last week's record heatwave caused the cancellation of more than 500 services in just three days.

Mr Barber today will notify Parliament that on February 25 he will call for the creation of a committee to "inquire into the factors leading to and causes of failures in the provision of metropolitan and V/Line train services".

Establishing the committee would require the Liberal/National Coalition's support.

The Herald Sun believes the Coalition will support Mr Barber's move in an effort to put further pressure on the Brumby Government and, in particular, Ms Kosky.

Shadow planning spokesman Matthew Guy yesterday slammed the Government for its inability to accurately predict patronage growth.

Patronage has grown 60 per cent since the Bracks/Brumby Government won power in November, 1999.

"The fact it takes longer to get from Heidelberg to the city now than it did in the 1950s is astounding," Mr Guy said.

- Nick Higginbottom and Geraldine Mitchell