2016 Queensland Parliament Estimates Hearings

[ozbob]

It is also disturbing there are  ' reports ' that there is dissension within the ALP caucus re Cross River Rail.

I know there are concerns with the scope of the project in certain circles, it is a shell of the original concept.  This is partly why the figures are much poorer.  Some folk might be starting to think that it is now so fiddled with and compromised it isn't worth the money to do it. The corollary is that though it is compromised, if this first part is set up for future expansion etc. then that is acceptable.

IA could agree with that too.  Even if IA pass it, it is still subject to political vagaries of course.  I am sure the LNP will be doing  their utmost to rat it with the Federal Government.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Opinion: Cross River omission choo-choo much

A politicised press, a series of incompetent Governments including their team of staffers and spin doctors, a bumbling bureaucracy that is obsessed with roads, a lack of a proper internal voice for public transport and rail,  means only one thing in the end.

CRR is dead as a dodo. And the future of public transport in Queensland is well and truly rooted!

Well done you fukwits!

[#Metro]

So I have this feeling that they (red team) won't be around come next election...

[ozbob]

Look around Oz.  Things happening PT wise in all the major capitals.  Buzzing with activity in fact.

Brisbane?   

Cannot even manage to open the rear door of buses!

Unless they actually start delivering and not reviewing they are gone for all money IMHO.

[#Metro]

This is what the people democratically chose. No asset sales or leases and low debt.

Okay...

Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it.

[ozbob]

Bus network reform is largely cost neutral with immense benefit. 

CANNOT DO !  FROZEN AT THE WHEEL !  TOO HARD TO ROCK THE BOAT !!

And you ask if they are gone?   LOLOL

[#Metro]

I <3 bus reform. Built to survive the most extreme conditions - works even with zero funding, no new infrastructure, etc.

BUS REFORM!!

Little steps - already managed to get fares nailed to the wall, so it is possible.



PS: Would be great to see some independents take the balance of power - RBOT members perhaps.

[ozbob]

Letter to the Editor Queensland Times 22nd July 2016

LETTER: Nicholls needs to get his policy right

STATE Opposition leader, Tim Nicholls, has criticised the Cross River Rail project as being "station in floodplain", "forgot to order trains" and "secret taxes for Queenslanders".

Apart from the obvious facts that most of Brisbane is built in a flood plain by design, existing and new NGR trains will use CRR, and taxes cannot be secret since to pay a tax the person being taxed needs to be sent a bill with the amount on it, Tim Nicholls has not explained what his party's policies actually are. Albert St station will have flood protection.

Will Tim Nicholls build Cross River Rail? Some other rail project to unlock capacity instead? Nothing??

Why does the LNP appear to support giving private landholders taxpayer funds gratis when a taxpayer funded project nearby increases their private property values? Value capture and value share is required as part of the business case for all major projects for Infrastructure Australia assessment.

How will the LNP pay for Cross River Rail or its equivalent? We need a detailed point by point explanation on this one. We want to see numbers.

What is Tim Nicholls' policy on zones and fares across the TransLink network? Is there a fare reform policy?

Or is it just too hard like last time.

What is Tim Nicholls' policy on Brisbane City Council's continued poor and expensive operation of the Brisbane Bus Network? BCC is failing to meet basic bus on time mandatory standards.

What is Tim Nicholls' policy on Brisbane City Council Bus Network Reform?

What is Tim Nicholls' policy on the extension of the rail from Springfield Central, and Perth style 15-minute train frequency within South East Queensland?

Tim Nicholls and LNPQLD, where are your transport policies?

Queensland needs more than Segways!

ROBERT DOW, Rail Back on Track

[ozbob]

Letter to the Ed @qld_times : @TimNichollsMP needs to get his policy right > https://t.co/gwOo6TiIpk#qldpol pic.twitter.com/DqdlwTk37m

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) July 21, 2016

[ozbob]

My brow game might be strong but what matters here are the facts. New trains being delivered now will run on CRR https://t.co/LW9dKmLkLf

— Jackie Trad (@jackietrad) July 22, 2016

[ozbob]

Queensland Times --> Jo-Ann justifies her feisty estimates grillings

JO-ANN Miller has justified her grilling of Labor Party ministers at estimates hearings and vowed to continue to bring to the fore issues that impacted the lives of her constituents and Queenslanders.

"Estimates has always been my favourite part of the parliamentary year," Ms Miller told 612 ABC in an interview with Steve Austin on his morning program on Thursday.

She outlined three reasons - the chance to ask questions of Ministers, the opportunity to expose the Opposition for being "inept and lazy", and "where you can raise issues of importance to your local electorate".

She said she had missed the parliamentary debate in budget week as she was in hospital for a week after an asthma attack. Ms Miller said she regularly distributed a newsletter to her electorate on items of interest after the budget and said estimates was her only chance now to raise issues that were important to members of her electorate.

Mr Austin asked Ms Miller if there was an element of payback in her questioning of Labor ministers. She did concede the leadup to her sacking as Police Minister was akin go "political live baiting" and that her treatment had disgusted many in her electorate during what was a tough time for her personally.

But Ms Miller reiterated throughout the interview that her questioning of both ministers and the Opposition was not done out of spite.

Ms Miller has raised issues in estimates which are indeed of interest to many battlers in both the electorate of Bundamba and throughout the state, and she has hung her political hat on representing those constituents.

She told Mr Austin she was for "truth, justice and standing up for the workers...particularly the coal miners of Queensland".

She said that was why she raised issues about "the black lung disaster which has re-emerged in Queensland".

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has ruled out a royal commission into the black lung debacle.

But Ms Miller has vowed to continue to fight for answers and lobby for a royal commission, on behalf of more than 15,000 miners in the state and those retired miners who may have "a death sentence" hanging over their heads.

She told 612 that her father, who is nearly 90, told her that her grandfather suffered from black lung and that there were many retired coal miners in her electorate who believe they suffered from the illness.

"We thought black lung had been eradicated decades ago. Now it has come back we need to get to the truth and we need to know...who is responsible for this," she told Mr Austin.

[ozbob]

Queensland Times --> Miller braced for showdown

A PRE-SELECTION showdown ahead of the next state election is looming between the Labor Party and Bundamba MP Jo-Ann Miller.

Ms Miller's grilling of her own ALP ministers in estimates hearings, including Deputy Premier Jackie Trad, has gone down like a lead balloon with her party and moves are afoot to pre-select another candidate before the next election.

The QT has spoken to several senior Labor figures who said Ms Miller would be disendorsed now if the numbers in parliament were not so tight.

It is rare for a sitting member to be disendorsed and Ms Miller won the seat of Bundamba by a large margin in 2015.

It is understood that two candidates, one from the CFMEU and one from United Voice, are positioning themselves for a challenge.

Ms Miller was quizzed at length on 612 ABC by Steve Austin on his morning program on Thursday, during which he asked whether she would run as an independent at the next state election or as a member of the ALP.

"People should absolutely stop listening to these rumours being peddled by the Opposition," she said.

Mr Austin then asked: "So you absolutely believe you will be endorsed by the Labor Party as their candidate at the next state election?"

Ms Miller's response was emphatic.

"Absolutely, Steve. I have been a true blue member of the Labor Party and I have no doubt I will be endorsed by the Labor Party at the next state election," she said.

But not all Labor Party figures agree.

"She is not in a position to say that," one senior source said.

"There can be a deal done with the left and right and someone else can be pre-selected, and candidates are circling now. If the numbers in parliament weren't so tight the party would disendorse her now.

"Her behaviour (in estimates hearings) has been weird and extraordinarily unusual. It has been bad for the party."

Another source said the next Labor candidate for Bundamba would "be a female, but it won't be Jo-Ann Miller".

"Jo-Ann is going to be challenged at pre-selection. That decision has already been made," another ALP source told the QT.]

A PRE-SELECTION showdown ahead of the next state election is looming between the Labor Party and Bundamba MP Jo-Ann Miller.

Ms Miller's grilling of her own ALP ministers in estimates hearings, including Deputy Premier Jackie Trad, has gone down like a lead balloon with her party and moves are afoot to pre-select another candidate before the next election.

The QT has spoken to several senior Labor figures who said Ms Miller would be disendorsed now if the numbers in parliament were not so tight.

It is rare for a sitting member to be disendorsed and Ms Miller won the seat of Bundamba by a large margin in 2015.

It is understood that two candidates, one from the CFMEU and one from United Voice, are positioning themselves for a challenge.

Ms Miller was quizzed at length on 612 ABC by Steve Austin on his morning program on Thursday, during which he asked whether she would run as an independent at the next state election or as a member of the ALP.

"People should absolutely stop listening to these rumours being peddled by the Opposition," she said.

Mr Austin then asked: "So you absolutely believe you will be endorsed by the Labor Party as their candidate at the next state election?"

Ms Miller's response was emphatic.

"Absolutely, Steve. I have been a true blue member of the Labor Party and I have no doubt I will be endorsed by the Labor Party at the next state election," she said.

But not all Labor Party figures agree.

"She is not in a position to say that," one senior source said.

"There can be a deal done with the left and right and someone else can be pre-selected, and candidates are circling now. If the numbers in parliament weren't so tight the party would disendorse her now.

"Her behaviour (in estimates hearings) has been weird and extraordinarily unusual. It has been bad for the party."

Another source said the next Labor candidate for Bundamba would "be a female, but it won't be Jo-Ann Miller".

"Jo-Ann is going to be challenged at pre-selection. That decision has already been made," another ALP source told the QT.

[ozbob]

^

A friendly tip @JoAnnMillerMP could stand for ruby grapefruit party & romp in Bundamba our electorate IMHO #justsaying @QLDLabor #qldpol

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) July 22, 2016

. @JoAnnMillerMP @QLDLabor Just because @LNPQLD is off the rails, there is no need to follow suit is there?#qldpol #liftyourgame

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) July 22, 2016

[ozbob]

It is also disturbing there are  ' reports ' that there is dissension within the ALP caucus re Cross River Rail.

I know there are concerns with the scope of the project in certain circles, it is a shell of the original concept.  This is partly why the figures are much poorer.  Some folk might be starting to think that it is now so fiddled with and compromised it isn't worth the money to do it. The corollary is that though it is compromised, if this first part is set up for future expansion etc. then that is acceptable.

IA could agree with that too.  Even if IA pass it, it is still subject to political vagaries of course.  I am sure the LNP will be doing  their utmost to rat it with the Federal Government.

Sunday Mail 24th July 2016 page 64

BUILDING BRIDGES OVER TUNNEL PLAN

[ozbob]

Public transport in Qld is a massive cluster-fuk
> https://t.co/7FJYviHfMg#qldpol
A series of failed Govts ... pic.twitter.com/eWVbEj56C6

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) July 23, 2016

[Stillwater]

So, with the JAM bridge proposal, are we now talking CRR Mk4?  TRAPS mentions that the estimated cost does not include the cost of stations.  That's new.  Maybe the government thinks private enterprise will build the stations in exchange for the right to fill them with coffee shops and fast food outlets, with a platform attached.  We need a clear statement from government about what is in and what is out of CRR Mk3.

[ozbob]

With an unpublished business case for CRR #3 no one really except the ' inner sanctum ' and recipients of leaked copies has a clue as to what is in and what is out in the end.

I think it is all largely academic now.  CRR # 3 is dead.  Once ALP start arguing amongst themselves that's curtains. JAM is not a lone ranger.

I suspect the line that does not include the station cost is not correct though.  My understanding is that it does, at least the underground bits.  Surface embellishments such as possible TODs, commercial ventures would not be included of course.

Queensland is really wrecked hey?  A series of failed governments is really telling now.

[ozbob]

Another rail bridge doesn't fix the core restrictions unless you add another twin tunnel Roma St - Bowen Hills.

The cost of widening the rail corridors is very expensive, would cause massive disruption and upheaval, and property resumptions.

The really big advantage of CRR is that provides a separate route which besides the capacity improvement also provides redundancy and improved reliability as it is a separate corridor in effect, which also delivers more mass transit to new areas, e.g. Woolloongabba, Albert St.

[SurfRail]

Dickheads.

[ozbob]

[James]

Welcome to the Planning Cycle - Queensland Edition. Who needs to actually do when you can just keep planning?



First plan doesn't work? Another plan! Doesn't work? Another plan!

[ozbob]

^ don't forget to throw in a review or a hundred or so hey what?  And a ' vision ' here and there ...  :bi

"Failed plans should not be interpreted as a failed vision. Visions don't change, they are only refined. Plans rarely stay the same, and are scrapped or adjusted as needed. Be stubborn about the vision, but flexible with your plan."

John C. Maxwell


There. is. no. hope. 

[Stillwater]

travelators down George Street, between Roma Street Station and the QUT?   

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk stops short of backing Jo-Ann Miller

PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk has refused to give Jo-Ann Miller her personal backing to stand at the next state election as Labor's candidate for Bundamba.

The former police minister was a constant source of stress for the Government last week, with her questions often proving to be embarrassing for Labor.

The Premier tried to downplay Ms Miller's constant barrage of pointed questions.

"Jo-Ann Miller has the same right as any other member of the caucus and of the Parliament, in fact, to attend estimates hearings," she said.

"I'd like to see the Leader of the Opposition actually do a bit more work.

"In fact, I can say Jo-Ann Miller's probably doing more work than the Leader of the Opposition."

Asked whether Ms Miller was hurting her political future by asking pointed questions, the Premier said: "No, not at all - she's just going along to estimates committees as any other member of Parliament is entitled to."

Ms Palaszczuk initially said every MP would be assessed on their merit and that she was happy with them.

"All of my caucus members will be judged on their performance and I'm satisfied with every single performance of my caucus members," she said.

But when asked whether she would give Ms Miller her personal backing come preselection time, Ms Palaszczuk said: "I'm not talking about preselections today - I mean we're still going through a redistribution process."

Asked again whether she would give Ms Miller her blessing, she said that all of her caucus members would represent their seats "if" they "continue to work well".

[ozbob]

Appears that CRR #3 has spiralled into the ' dark zone '  ... nothing much more heard ...

Righto ... roll out CRR #4 

[SurfRail]

At least they're getting on with Coomera River Rail. 

[ozbob]

 

[ozbob]

Beenleigh station needs to be sorted if the real benefits of the duplication are to be realised.  Gold Coasters need to be able to get around trains at will at Beenleigh.

[verbatim9]

Yes! New station further south with a new Bus Interchange, fare gates and 4 platforms/quad tracks

[James]

Appears that CRR #3 has spiralled into the ' dark zone '  ... nothing much more heard ...

I still reckon we'll see CRR #3. It is just "postponed indefinitely"... only to be cancelled if the LNP decide that CRR is the devil again.

[Stillwater]

CRR's fate seems forever linked to the election cycle -- it gets rolled out just before each state and federal poll.  The interesting thing next time round state-wise will be the extra seats in the state parliament, with an extra seat likely to be allocated to each of the coasts.  Parties will be vying for each, so the old chestnut promises of SCL duplication and extension of GCLR likely to be dusted off - yet again.

[SurfRail]

Difference is that GCLR extensions are actually happening and are very far away from being pipe dreams.  GCCC can pay for a good chunk of some of the southward extension all by itself - 10% contribution planned, but the city is in a good state financially and could stand to tip in slightly more, plus it could be weighted more to the stretches close to Broadbeach to get it started and encourage the State (or even Uncle Malcolm) to help with the rest.  The airport is federal land after all...

[ozbob]

#estimates: @JoAnnMillerMP keeps fellow Labor MPs on toes >https://t.co/Q2MWMIXTSK#qldpol
fair enough too. Good job! @LNPQLD hopeless!!

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) July 26, 2016

[ozbob]

Jo-Ann Miller keeps heat on Palaszczuk government > https://t.co/zlXggAkWMb via @brisbanetimes #qldpol

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) July 26, 2016

[ozbob]

Today I delivered a letter to the Commissioner of Police Re the Barrett centre & the then Min 4 Health. Details via https://t.co/LtzqQHRwKF

— Jo-Ann Miller (@JoAnnMillerMP) July 27, 2016

[ozbob]

[ozbob]

Transport Estimates has commenced:

> https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/work-of-assembly/broadcast-chamber/live?&broadcast_accept=1

[ozbob]

Nothing new in the first half hour.

{ Don't forget, Hansard is available for these sessions in due course }

[ozbob]

JAM has asked what is going to be done about fixing the buses !!   

Ipswich and Brisbane.

[ozbob]

Great question @JoAnnMillerMP #estimates re bus shambles ...#qldpol

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) July 28, 2016