North-Eastern Metropolitan Region
Nick McGOWAN (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (14:18): (976) My question is for Minister Pearson in the other place, and it relates to his transport infrastructure portfolio. In particular what I would like to know, or what the people of Ringwood and the district of Ringwood would like to know, and seek is an assurance that none of the projects that have taken place in our electorate – so Dublin Road, Bedford Road and perhaps even in the future, although there is absolutely no money whatsoever in the budget going forward for it, despite their talk, Maroondah Hospital – have actually been fleeced by the CFMEU and effectively had public funds stolen. These are significant projects. We welcome the level crossing removals themselves; however, if in the course we have lost tens if not millions of dollars, then that is a travesty. Let us not forget that in Ringwood East, at that train station, this government continue to refuse to include a toilet, despite the fact that they have spent close to $1 billion. So while they are happy on one hand to see no evil, hear no evil – well, they are happy to let the money go out to the CFMEU on one hand – they simply cannot provide, as part of a billion-dollar project, a public toilet in Ringwood East. It is a travesty.