Labor leader Eric Ripper should immediately pull his Opposition Transport spokesperson Ken Travers into line after the Upper House member’s unprecedented attack on the integrity of the Public Transport Authority (PTA).

Transport Minister Simon O’Brien said Mr Travers’ comment that the PTA and its senior management team were running a deliberate campaign to undermine the proposed Ellenbrook rail link, was an unfortunate attack on the State’s hard working public service.

Mr Travers was quoted by WAtoday.com.au as saying:

“I think the PTA is opposed to the Ellenbrook railway line and the studies are an attempt to justify their position and get the minister on board...

“Mr Ripper should immediately call on Mr Travers to apologise to the hard working staff at the PTA.  If not, then it can only be assumed the Leader of the Opposition shares and supports Mr Travers’ views,” Mr O’Brien said.

“If Mr Ripper believes it acceptable for either he or his fellow Opposition members to carry out such a vicious attack on the professionalism and integrity of the State’s public service, then he is grossly out of touch.”

The Minister said the facts relating to the Ellenbrook rail project were clear.

“In Opposition, the Liberal Party matched the then government’s commitment to build the Ellenbrook rail link,” he said.

“This commitment was made in good faith; we assumed that the Labor Party and the former minister Alannah MacTiernan had carried out due diligence on this proposed project before they committed to it.  We were wrong.

“Since assuming Government, I found no planning was done and no money had been allocated to the project. I have therefore instructed the PTA to undertake a feasibility study on it and the results of this will be considered as a part of the existing, broader review of Perth’s public transport network. 

“Let there be no mistake, this Government is doing the hard work the former Labor government failed to do.

“The Ellenbrook rail extension is a project worth hundreds of millions, if not billions of dollars. It is therefore important this Government does not just recklessly throw taxpayers’ money around without carrying out due diligence.”

Mr O’Brien said the Opposition had once again demonstrated its unfitness to govern.

“For Mr Travers to come out and suggest the PTA is somehow trying to unduly influence the Government is an unwelcome development for the WA political landscape,” he said.

“The Liberal-National Government believes fiercely in the independence of the State’s public service.

“Obviously the Opposition do not.”

Minister's office  - 9213 6400

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