Simple Question on Notice goes unanswered. Commuters fears may well be realised.

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Media Release
'Say No to GoCard' Committee

Queensland Parliament Simple Question on Notice goes unanswered. Commuters fears may well be realised.

On the 13th March, 2008 the following Question on Notice was put to the Hon. John Mickel MP,
Member for Logan and Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations
by the Hon. Peter Wellington MP, Member for Nicklin, in the Queensland Parliament.

This question was put to the Minister on behalf of the 'Say No to GoCard' committee.

We believe that the Government is going to lift fare increases for paper tickets to force us onto the MASSIVE 23% dearer GoCard.
We also believe that the Government has no intention of continuing with the cheaper weekly and monthly paper tickets.
We fear that they will increase the cost of the weekly and monthly paper tickets this July, to force us onto the expensive GoCard.

This is evidenced by the fact that all the new ticket machines have no current capability to dispense these types of tickets
and the fact that the Minister fails to answer a simple yes or no question regarding their ongoing availability, and fare increases above inflation.

He didn't address the core issue of cost increases greater than the C.P.I.,
but appears to butter us up for a massive increase by comparing public transport
with the huge 48% increase in fuel for motorists over 3 1/2 years.
The Q on N was regarding the rail service, since when do trains run on petrol anyway ?

Already the cheaper QR (non-TransLink) 3, 6 and 12 month tickets have been announced as going.
I would urge commuters to buy them if they can afford to, while they are still available.

The Minister could have allayed our fears by answering this simple 2 part question.
He chose not to do so.

QUESTION ON NOTICE:
With respect to the price paid for weekly and monthly railway paper tickets -
Will he support these railway paper tickets
(a) not increasing in price above the consumer price index during the next 12 months and
(b) continuing to be available for purchase at current railway stations.

This is the Minister's published response.

ANSWER:
The price of all TransLink tickets, including weekly and monthly tickets, will be considered
by the Queensland Government as part of the normal process for fare increases.

The Queensland Government's investment in public transport in South East Queensland for
the 2007/08 financial year is over $959 million. Expected fare revenue is approximately
$239 million. This covers less than a third of the cost, representing a massive investment to
deliver frequent, reliable and affordable services to the travelling public. In addition, the
Queensland Government is spending $1.1 billion on public transport related infrastructure in
South East Queensland in 2007/08.

I am advised that since 2004 when TransLink commenced, the Queensland Government
has been able to maintain fare increases to the level of the Consumer Price Index for
Brisbane. At the same time, key public transport cost drivers have been increasing at a
significantly greater rate. Automotive fuel, for instance, has increased by just over 48
percent from March 2004 to December 2007.


Unfortunately, as you can read above,
The Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations,
the Hon. John Mickel MP, Member for Logan's response does not answer a simple, 2 part, yes or no question !
One could well ask why the evasiveness ?  Did he ( or his dept.) even read the question ?

It seems clear that by not answering the question regarding the ongoing availability of weekly and monthly paper tickets
and by not answering the question regarding the cost increases, we commuters are in for MORE financially troubled times under this government.

Why does the Government sponsor elite sport (Qld Reds Rugby Union) using public moneys?
Where is the fiscal responsibility in that?
How much of that public money would be better served by upgrading the over-burdened rail network, and providing more carriages for commuters.

The Government claims it has little money to spend on passenger commuters, whilst freight trains rake in massive profits.
Whose idea was it to separate the two sectors financially ? It's clear that freight train excess revenues should be utilised for passenger services.

It is especially galling given the Premier is exhorting Councils not to pass on the increased costs of land valuations to long-suffering rate-payers
hit with mortgage increases, electricity increases, food increases and fuel increases.
Yet here they are failing to guarantee commuter fare increases in line with inflation.
The new GoCard fare structure is a shambles and unjustifiable, especially for long distance commuters hit with massive 23% increases
Already the Government is actively discriminating against paper ticket users, by only providing free travel
to GoCard users over Easter.
All we want are Fair Fares and a Government that will act on our concerns.

The State Government and TransLink claim that they are trying to encourage people to use public transport on one hand,
whilst actively discouraging it's use by taking (massively increased fares) with the other hand.
The open hypocrisy is breathtaking.

Jeffrey Addison
'Say No to GoCard' committee spokesman.