DERAILED
LABOR INSIDER’S STUNNING GAMES CONFESSION
“We are going to have a transport debacle” “We’re struggling, no use lying to people saying everything is all good” “I’ll be quite honest with people, these trains were supposed to be up and running before the Commonwealth Games”
THE Premier’s week-long visit to the Gold Coast is already a train wreck after one of her own MPs revealed the shambolic truth about the Palaszczuk Government’s transport plan for the Commonwealth Games. Bruce Saunders said the event was headed for a “transport debacle”. “I’m on the Commonwealth Games committee and inside the Labor Party we’re pulling our hair out at the moment,” Mr Saunders told his local Maryborough radio station. “We’re struggling, no use lying to people saying everything is all good.”
A LABOR backbencher says his government’s transport planning for the Commonwealth Games is a “debacle” and there is no guarantee enough new trains will be on the Gold Coast line next year.
Maryborough Labor MP Bruce Saunders, who has access to the latest Commonwealth Games briefings as a member of a parliamentary tourism committee, has given a stunning inside view of the frantic preparations for next April’s event.
“I’m on the Commonwealth Games committee and inside the Labor Party and we’re pulling our hair out at the moment,” Mr Saunders said yesterday towards the end of his regular Triple M Fraser Coast radio spot.
“I’ll be quite honest with people, these trains were supposed to be up and running before the Commonwealth Games.
“At this stage we may have one set up and running, at this stage we’ve got 15 other sets cannibalised to get one on the ground. We are going to have a transport debacle.”
Mr Saunders said the Government was “working feverishly behind the scenes” to make sure enough buses and trains could get fans to Coast venues and the cycling at Boondall.
“We’re struggling, no use lying to people saying everything is all good and the people are really trying to get the transport thing up and running for the Commonwealth Games,” he added.
LNP Shadow Transport Minister Andrew Powell said Mr Saunders had “let the cat out of the bag” on a looming Games transport disaster.
“We already knew there was a chance the new trains wouldn’t be ready to go for the Games and today Bruce Saunders has fessed up,” Mr Powell said.
“It has now been 10 months of rail fail under this Palaszczuk Labor Government with no end in sight.
“Labor have trained only 28 of the 200 drivers required to fix rail fail. Unless they get cracking, spectators and visitors will be stranded at stations during the Games.”
Mr Powell fears the Coast and Queensland, with the “eyes of the world on us”, is headed for a public relations disaster.
He said Mr Saunders had countless opportunities during Estimates in the past week to question the Commonwealth Games Minister on the Games transport strategy.
“We asked the Government on multiple occasions during Estimates hearings if the transport strategy for the Commonwealth Games was on track and we were told ‘nothing to see here, all fine’.
“Clearly this was not the case. How are we supposed to trust the do-nothing Government when their track record on rail speaks for itself?”
Queensland Rail has 15 NGR trains in the State and last week indicated five of those were undergoing testing on the South East Queensland rail network.
Deputy Premier Jackie Trad at the time said: “Ontrack testing is the final testing before the trains are accepted and able to safely carry passengers.
“We are confident the first NGR trains will commence on the network by the end of this year and they will be used exclusively on the Gold Coast line until after the Commonwealth Games.”
WE’RE STRUGGLING, NO USE LYING TO PEOPLE SAYING EVERYTHING IS ALL GOOD.