Ministerial Statement: What to do with $1 billion LNP asked. Answer? I don’t kno

[ozbob]

Transport and Multicultural Affairs
The Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk

Friday, May 13, 2011

What to do with $1 billion LNP asked. Answer? I don't know

The LNP is clearly a party devoid of ideas, policies and plans for our transport future having failed to respond to a simple question from a newspaper on the Sunshine Coast this week, Transport Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk said.

LNP members on the Sunshine Coast fell silent when posed with the question by the Maroochydore Journal about how they would spend $1 billion on public transport in their electorates.

Member for Maroochydore and former Shadow Transport Minister Fiona Simpson, Member for Kawana Jarodd Bleijie, Member for Noosa Glen Elmes, Member for Buderim Steve Dickson and Member for Caloundra Mark McArdle joined forces for a "no comment".

"It's extraordinary to think they could not come up with one funding initiative between them. Not one policy. Not one idea," Ms Palaszczuk said.

Current Shadow Transport Minister Scott Emerson at least got a couple of words out and is quoted as saying "I'm not going into specifics"*.

"Their own transport spokesperson doesn't even know what to do with a billion dollars," Ms Palaszczuk said.

"If you asked a five year old child how they would spend their pocket money, they would at least have an answer."

Ms Palaszczuk said the Bligh Government has some of the biggest transport infrastructure projects in Australia now underway including the extension of the Springfield rail line and the Eastern and Northern Busways projects.

"A spare billion dollars could be added to any number of projects to improve transport services or future initiatives such as Cross River Rail – a vital project for South East Queensland commuters that the LNP no longer supports," she said.

Ms Palaszczuk said the government is committed to a number of transport infrastructure projects on the Sunshine Coast including the new Maroochydore bus station and a $3.3 million upgrade of Nambour station.

From 6 June the biggest overhaul of the Sunshine Coast rail timetable in 15 years will deliver an extra 15,000 seats per week for coast commuters.

*Source – Maroochydore Journal 13 May 2011 – page 4

[#Metro]

 

I really cringe when I see ministerial media releases come out like this that are using government funds and channels for transparently partisan purposes, on the other hand perhaps that is the price of democracy...

Yes. They should have some answer, but I guess there is an election not too far away now so its under wraps.

[colinw]

I agree with you there TT.  Ministerial releases are for the purpose of announcing Government policies, initiatives, events, projects, etc.  They should not be a forum for political campaigning.

Releases like the one above belong on the website of the party in Government, or should be put out PERSONALLY.  They are not an appropriate use of Government resources.

I watch the ministerial releases and browse them daily.  This kind of thing does not make me look upon the Government or its members favourably come election time. (And that applies no matter who is in power.  Browsing the ministerial releases of the last Nat/Lib Government shows they were just as bad).

[Stillwater]

The Minister demeans herself and the government with comments so petty as this.  At a time when Ms Palaszczuk and the government she represents faces criticism that the decision to stop Sunshine Coast Line duplication mid-project at Beerburrum was politically motivated, she stoops to this diatribe.  It gives added emphasis to the argument being put that the government ignored advice from departmental officials that not to proceed with duplication to Landsborough would result in no appreciable gains for the millions spent on the Caboolture-Beerburrum section.

I hope the Sunshine Coast Daily or someone else in the media asks the obvious question: "Minister, duplication of the Sunshine Coast Line to Nambour and the CAMCOS corridor to Caloundra have been promised by your government and the government has reneged on those promises by not deliverying to the timetable promised.  Will you now honour those promises by resuming work on duplicating the Sunshine Coast Line and will you commit $1 billion to start that work.  Minister, if you had $1 billion to spend on the Sunshine Coast Line, where would you spend that money and over what timeframe will this sum be applied?"

Of course, we now have confirmation ( from both sides) that politics is being played when it comes to the Sunshine Coast Line.  The ALP and LNP cannot deny this.

As for the LNP members on the coast, they are dumbstruck by the statement from CanDo Campbell that all "policies are null and void".  They dare not speak as our elected officials to Parliament until someone who is not elected to that place -- the so-called 'leader' -- speaks his mind.  The chances of a coherent transport policy from the LNP before the next election (as opposed to a list of projects) seem as remote as ever.

It is a pity the Minister has stooped to this mindless verbage and has taken the debate so low.  She has followed the LNP to the pits.

The people of the Sunshine Coast deserve better.  By their words and actions, both sides of politics have shown they are more interested in playing the game rather than addressing the issue in a sensible and meaningful way.

How are people to respond to this innane performance.  Maybe the only way is to respond via the politics -- since that is where the ALP and LNP have taken this -- and vote Independent or lodge an informal vote at the next election.  Why should either side deserve our vote after this performance.  Shame.

[somebody]

The Minister demeans herself and the government with comments so petty as this.  At a time when Ms Palaszczuk and the government she represents faces criticism that the decision to stop Sunshine Coast Line duplication mid-project at Beerburrum was politically motivated, she stoops to this diatribe.  It gives added emphasis to the argument being put that the government ignored advice from departmental officials that not to proceed with duplication to Landsborough would result in no appreciable gains for the millions spent on the Caboolture-Beerburrum section.

I disagree SW.

The Opposition shows every sign of a complete disinterest in PT.  I am concerned that they will "rationalise" BUZ services.  They haven't lampooned the wastage on route P88 either.

While the Sunshine Coast line isn't Labour's shining light, they are doing some good and I expect it will cease with the likely change of government.

[#Metro]

As for the LNP members on the coast, they are dumbstruck by the statement from CanDo Campbell that all "policies are null and void".  They dare not speak as our elected officials to Parliament until someone who is not elected to that place -- the so-called 'leader' -- speaks his mind.  The chances of a coherent transport policy from the LNP before the next election (as opposed to a list of projects) seem as remote as ever.

It is a pity the Minister has stooped to this mindless verbage and has taken the debate so low.  She has followed the LNP to the pits.

I think that we may see some surprises from Campbell Newman with regard to PT. Just a gut feeling, but I think he's a fast learner.
I wouldn't put it above him. He is an engineer, so initially a lot of his ideas might be yet even MORE CONCRETE rather than more services on Core Frequent Network.

Sunshine Coast needs concrete though- as it is affecting services.

[Fares_Fair]

Transport and Multicultural Affairs
The Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk

Friday, May 13, 2011

What to do with $1 billion LNP asked. Answer? I don't know

The LNP is clearly a party devoid of ideas, policies and plans for our transport future having failed to respond to a simple question from a newspaper on the Sunshine Coast this week, Transport Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk said.

LNP members on the Sunshine Coast fell silent when posed with the question by the Maroochydore Journal about how they would spend $1 billion on public transport in their electorates.

Member for Maroochydore and former Shadow Transport Minister Fiona Simpson, Member for Kawana Jarodd Bleijie, Member for Noosa Glen Elmes, Member for Buderim Steve Dickson and Member for Caloundra Mark McArdle joined forces for a "no comment".

"It's extraordinary to think they could not come up with one funding initiative between them. Not one policy. Not one idea," Ms Palaszczuk said.

Current Shadow Transport Minister Scott Emerson at least got a couple of words out and is quoted as saying "I'm not going into specifics"*.

"Their own transport spokesperson doesn't even know what to do with a billion dollars," Ms Palaszczuk said.

"If you asked a five year old child how they would spend their pocket money, they would at least have an answer."

Ms Palaszczuk said the Bligh Government has some of the biggest transport infrastructure projects in Australia now underway including the extension of the Springfield rail line and the Eastern and Northern Busways projects.

"A spare billion dollars could be added to any number of projects to improve transport services or future initiatives such as Cross River Rail – a vital project for South East Queensland commuters that the LNP no longer supports," she said.

Ms Palaszczuk said the government is committed to a number of transport infrastructure projects on the Sunshine Coast including the new Maroochydore bus station and a $3.3 million upgrade of Nambour station.

From 6 June the biggest overhaul of the Sunshine Coast rail timetable in 15 years will deliver an extra 15,000 seats per week for coast commuters.
*Source – Maroochydore Journal 13 May 2011 – page 4

It is pitiful, puerile response, the only good thing is that perhaps the Minister is starting to take notice of the Sunshine Coast issues. Will she do something more than tidying up an old train station is the question ?

Having said that, has anyone heard who is on the PT Advisory Body yet as SC representative ?

Premier Anna Bligh and Treasurer Andrew Fraser wouldn't even know where we are.
Wouldn't it be great if they held a regional parliament on the Sunshine Coast ?

...  and at last a separate figure for the Sunshine Coast, 15,000 weekly seats or an extra 2143 seats per day.
Of the 50,000 weekly seats stated in the timetable report, 35,000 must be Caboolture line improvements.

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[Stillwater]

TT, please, don't fall into the trap of filling the vacuum with what you think someone might say or do.  It only perpetuates the nonsense surrounding this issue.  In politics, saying nothing is as palpable and real as saying something and we should not vote for parties or politicians on the basis of what we think they might say, or commit to.

In the case of the LNP, it has said nothing about the Sunshine Coast Line, apart from supporting boycotts and taking cheap shots as inane as the Minister's latest media statement.  It has said nothing of substance.  Here is more of the meaningless from the LNP's 'Liveable Sunshine Coast' motherhood document:  "We will guarantee the delivery of affordable and efficient transport infrastructure to support sustainable growth on the Sunshine Coast.  In Government, the LNP will deliver a Sunshine Coast Integrated Transport Plan containing clear delivery timelines for infrastructure and services."

In other words, the LNP strategy is to say nothing until after it gets into government and then it will devise a transport strategy for the Sunshine Coast.  Or it may not, because it would have gained the Treasury benches and need not do anything for another three years.  Voters are being asked to buy a pig in a poke.  By saying you are comfortable with the vacuum because it might be filled with something desirable is a pollie's heaven.  He/she doesn't have to say anything to get your vote.  Well mine's not as cheap as yours TT.

The lunacy of playing out the Sunshine Coast Line issues in the political arena - because that is where both major parties have decided it should occur - is that even if one side said it would spend $1 billion on A, B and C, the other side would say that is irresponsible and the expenditure priorities should be D, E and F.  Or they would criticise the expenditure as being 'fiscally irresponsible' or whatever passes for pollie-babble these days.

We should be saying it is not good enough, TT, not letting them off the hook or allowing them to continue the vagaries around what is an important issue that has been debated at length in this forum.

[#Metro]

Thanks for your comments.

If you look back at every election one party trots out the "they have no policies line" and the other party obviously does not want to show its hand before the proper election campaign is on and so on. Unless the LNP is extremely dumb and impotent (which I doubt) NO political party is going to go into an election without policies.

And as I understand it LNP members on the Sunshine Coast are working towards getting a better deal for their constituents.

So all this is just shadow boxing really. Courier Mail and Tabloids style politics that feed off lack of information and he didn't say this he didn't say that kind of thing.
Bring on the election.

I have a good feeling the sun will shine on Sunshine Coast come the election. The member for Maroochydore, Fiona Simpson, also held the Transport shadow portfolio for a while so familiar with the issues.

[Stillwater]

I feel also that the LNP has sought recently to use the good auspices of Rail Back on Track (through sympathetic statements and piggy-backing political stunts off community-based initiatives such as the recent rail boycott) for its political purposes and, in doing so, has sought to politicise this forum or portray it through the prism of politics.  It lacks credibility when it does so in the absence of any clear policy direction.  I emphasise 'direction' because it would be good to get even a commitment from the LNP that it will have a transport policy – for the state and for the Sunshine Coast – ahead of the next election.  And not just in the dying days of the campaign either.  The community needs time to assess it.  We have already passed judgement on Labor's Connecting SEQ 2031.  Rail Back on Track should be absolutely dilligent in being seen to remain above the politics, or else it risks being pulled into the mire of puerile pettiness that we have seen from the LNP and now, unfortunately, from a Minister whom I thought would be above the banality.

[#Metro]

It is a fair comment. 


Both red team and blue team tend to lack credibility. Green team is missing in action, marone team (Queensland Party) new on the scene.

Upgrades will come. But nobody said it would be fast or easy.

Out of curiosity, why do frequent trains not run to Caboolture all day? Why do they stop at Petrie?

[Stillwater]

Rail Back on Track should project and reinforce its apolitical stance by writing a letter to the Director-General of the Department of Transport and Main Roads seeking an assurance that no departmental staff member was involved in the drafting of Minister Palaszczuk's '$1 billion' media statement.

[Stillwater]

Henry Palaszczuk was one of Labor's gentlemen of politics.  Annastacia Palaszczuk could take a leaf from his political book when it comes to handling issues like this.

[Fares_Fair]

In all fairness, it does seem out of character for a woman whom I perceive as knowing her own mind. Maybe I'm wrong.
Even the very style of wording suggests it was produced by a younger person IMHO.

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[Stillwater]

The Minister's media people need to do a rethink.  This little stunt will backfire if one of the LNP members she has named asks her in question time: 'Minister, if you had a billion dollars to spend on PT across the Sunshine Coast, where and on what would you spend it?'

One or two bureaucrats will be working up the answer in anticipation of the question being asked, no doubt.

But ultimately, FF, the political stink has to be taken out of the SC Line issue.  This cheap political chip from the Minister just perpetuates the mess, to the frustration of the people of the Sunshine Coast.

[Stillwater]

To what extent did Ms Linda Whatman, the minister's principal advisor, have in authorising the release of this media statement?  Something triggered the petulence it contains, beyond the nonsense of the LNP comments in the Journal article.  Clearly, the LNP needs to lift its game on this one also.

[Stillwater]

Maybe it is up to Rail Back on Track to state where $1 billion should be spent on Sunshine Coast PT, starting with the following projects.

RAIL

•  extend the current double track from Beerburrum to Glass House Mountains, but leave a single track from there to Beerwah, from where a double track is built north to Mooloolah;
•  at Mooloolah, a single track configuration would apply until double tracks kick in from a point some four kilometres south of Eudlo to Palmwoods;
•  again, a single track would operate north of Palmwoods to a point 1.5 kilometres south of Nambour;
•  double tracks would run through Nambour to Yandina, where a new train stabling facility would be located (replacing the planned stabling facility at Nambour).

These works would enable construction of a second, through platform at Nambour.  At the same time, reconstruct the Nambour rail-bus interchange.

Realignment and double tracking, as outlined above, would reduce train transit times by some 12 minutes because trains travelling in opposite directions would be able to cross paths while moving.  One train would not be required to shunt onto a siding and stop while a train in the opposite direction drew level and passed.

BUS

This could be followed by the $350 million public transport project to improve bus services between Caloundra and Maroochydore.  Initiatives such as new bus/transit and cycle lanes, upgrading major bus stations and stops and giving buses priority at key intersections will play an important part in managing traffic congestion along Nicklin Way, Brisbane Road, Alexandra Parade and Aerodrome Road.

TRANSIT CORRIDOR

Assist the Sunshine Coast Regional Council with construction of the Palmview-Kawana transit corridor to provide public transport linkages from an area of affordable housing to the proposed new Sunshine Coast University Hospital.

CALOUNDRA INTERCHANGE

Reconstruct the Caloundra bus interchange.  This work would complement the proposed Nambour bus interchange upgrade (see above), the current Noosa bus interchange (which will be completed this year) and the Maroochydore bus interchange, where funds are promised and work will start this year.

[Arnz]

Maybe it is up to Rail Back on Track to state where $1 billion should be spent on Sunshine Coast PT, starting with the following projects.

RAIL

•  extend the current double track from Beerburrum to Glass House Mountains, but leave a single track from there to Beerwah, from where a double track is built north to Mooloolah;
•  at Mooloolah, a single track configuration would apply until double tracks kick in from a point some four kilometres south of Eudlo to Palmwoods;
•  again, a single track would operate north of Palmwoods to a point 1.5 kilometres south of Nambour;
•  double tracks would run through Nambour to Yandina, where a new train stabling facility would be located (replacing the planned stabling facility at Nambour).

These works would enable construction of a second, through platform at Nambour.  At the same time, reconstruct the Nambour rail-bus interchange.

As many as said previously, double tracking from Beerburrum to Glass House Mountains and from Mooloolah to Palmwoods seems to be deemed the better solution by many on this board.  

A lot of people on the board don't realise about the 60km/h steep curves between Mooloolah and Eudlo when they discuss partial duplications beyond Beerburrum.  At least doing the partial duplications between Mooloolah and Palmwoods would cut a lot of the 60km/h curves out.

BUS

This could be followed by the $350 million public transport project to improve bus services between Caloundra and Maroochydore.  Initiatives such as new bus/transit and cycle lanes, upgrading major bus stations and stops and giving buses priority at key intersections will play an important part in managing traffic congestion along Nicklin Way, Brisbane Road, Alexandra Parade and Aerodrome Road.

I would like to put forward the suggestion of using the CAMCOS corridor between Caloundra and Maroochydore as a initial busway (which can be converted to HR down the track).  It would create a few more trunk routes down the Maroochydore-Caloundra corridor without duplicating the existing trunk bus routes (namely Routes 600/601)

[mufreight]

As many as said previously, double tracking from Beerburrum to Glass House Mountains and from Mooloolah to Palmwoods seems to be deemed the better solution by many on this board.  

A lot of people on the board don't realise about the 60km/h steep curves between Mooloolah and Eudlo when they discuss partial duplications beyond Beerburrum.  At least doing the partial duplications between Mooloolah and Palmwoods would cut a lot of the 60km/h curves out.

While there is merit in the point that Arnz has raised in the elimination of the 60kph curves on the present alignment between Mooloolah and Eudo by duplicating and realigning Mooloolah to Palmwoods first gives greater flexibility in operations better dividing the Nambour to Landsborough in terms of running times and allowing trains to pass on the move while fitting in with the desired 30 minite frequency with opposing moves.