Tuesday, January 14, 2003
MEDIA RELEASE
Labor & Libs Both Get "E" On Public Transport Score Card
The Greens have added public transport to the 'score card' of failures awarded to the state government by several state environment groups this week.
Murray Matson, Greens candidate for Coogee says that both Labor and the Liberals should receive an "E".
He said,
"You can award another "E" to the ALP for its' score on public transport - and you can serve the Liberals one too.
Bob Carr's state government is at the bottom of the class along with the Commonwealth Liberal's for their joint obsession with completing the Western Orbital Motorway."
Rik Jurcevic, who is standing against the Premier in Maroubra, wants the federal funding promised for the Orbital motorway offered to the State Government for light rail instead.
He elaborated,
"The Premier should tell John Howard to shelve it and redirect the Commonwealth funding towards the more cost effective option of a comprehensive light rail system for Sydney.
Bob Carr has made no effort to either promote or preserve options for a light rail line down Anzac Parade - and this is his own seat!"
The Federal Government has allocated $350 million towards construction of the 39 km Western Orbital as a "National Highway project."
The remainder of the $1.25 billion cost of the project will be provided by the private sector, financed by a road user toll.
The Acting Prime Minister and Federal Minister for Transport and Regional Services, John Anderson, and the NSW Minister for Transport and Roads, Carl Scully, jointly issued the EIS for the motorway in 2001.