Thursday, 20 June 2024

Metro Tunnel

David SOUTHWICK (Caulfield) (14:38): My question is to the Minister for Transport Infrastructure. Today’s Auditor-General’s report on the Metro Tunnel confirmed that there will be yet another cost blowout, stating:

The state will need to pay more to address remaining issues and finish the project.

How much more will Victorian taxpayers have to pay to finish the project because Labor cannot manage money?

Danny PEARSON (Essendon – Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop, Assistant Treasurer, Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC) (14:39): What absolute gall from the Deputy Leader of the Opposition – a party that never delivered a single major project while they were in power, not one, not a single major project.

David Southwick: On a point of order, Speaker, the minister is debating the question. I would ask you to bring him back to answering how much Victorian taxpayers will have to pay to finish this project.

The SPEAKER: I ask you to come back to the question that was asked, Minister.

Danny PEARSON: This project was originally conceived by the Brumby government, and when those opposite came into office back in 2010, they fumbled around. They did not know what to do. They looked at it, and they said it would all be too hard. And who said this:

I’m only a humble citizen of Melbourne and Victoria, but having a massive hole dividing Melbourne would be worse than the Berlin Wall –

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the minister is debating the question.

The SPEAKER: The minister was quoting from a document, but I do ask him to come back to the question.

Danny PEARSON: The point is that those opposite found it all too hard to start this project. They delayed it and they deferred it. It just follows that if you turn around and say, ‘Oh, it’s all too hard; I’m not going to do it,’ and squib it then that will lead to four years of delays.

David Southwick: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, it was a very simple question: how much more money will Victorian taxpayers have to pay to finish the project? It is a simple question; we want a simple answer.

The SPEAKER: Order! Points of order are not an opportunity to repeat the question. I ask the minister to come back to the question that was asked.

Danny PEARSON: The issue here is if those opposite had bothered to do any work whatsoever over their four lazy, lethargic years in office –

David Southwick: On a point of order, Speaker, the minister is defying your ruling and debating the question, and I ask you to bring him back to answering the question. If he does not know the answer, he should simply sit down.

The SPEAKER: The minister will come back to the question that was asked.

Danny PEARSON: The issue here is that because of the lethargy of those opposite it cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars, because the reality is if they had got on and started this project –

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the minister has now defied you twice, which is grossly improper, and I would ask you to deal with the minister.

The SPEAKER: I ask the minister to come back to the question that was asked.

Danny PEARSON: We are getting on and delivering this exciting project, a project that will be open in 2025, 12 months ahead of schedule. The work underway is at the stage where it is quite complex and quite involved. We have learned from lessons in terms of Crossrail in London, who said that what you need to do is do that important testing work, which we are doing. That is why we have accelerated the opening of the Arden station and why that work is ongoing. We have done 2024 hours of testing to date. The test trains have run 18,000 kilometres. It is a complicated, involved piece of work because we are integrating 21st-century, cutting-edge transport infrastructure technology into two legacy systems, being the Sunbury line as well as the Cranbourne–Pakenham line. We are also making sure that the trains can integrate seamlessly and properly with the other five stations. That requires an enormous amount of work.

David Southwick: On a point of order, Speaker, again on relevance, this was specifically on the Auditor-General’s report today in terms of how much more it is going to cost taxpayers. I ask you to bring the minister back to answering the question.

The SPEAKER: The minister was being relevant to the question that was asked.

Danny PEARSON: As I was saying, the Auditor-General has found that the project is being well managed. It is meeting all the safety and design requirements, and we are working very closely with our construction partners every single day throughout this project. Those conversations are ongoing. What I would say is that when the TEI was announced in the budget in May at $12.6 billion that number still stands.

David SOUTHWICK (Caulfield) (14:43): The Auditor-General’s report found that the Metro Tunnel will be delayed by at least nine months. When will the Metro Tunnel be complete?

Danny PEARSON (Essendon – Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop, Assistant Treasurer, Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC) (14:44): I am rather tempted to yield to the Premier on this to answer this question. This project will open in 2025, 12 months ahead of schedule.