Light rail trash talk new high
BURLEIGH MP Michael Hart is furious with Transport Minister Mark Bailey for refusing an invitation to attend a public debate at Palm Beach on the planned light rail route to the border.
Mr Hart revealed he had sent two letters, one to the minister and another to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, and failed to get a reply.
In a letter to Mr Bailey in March, Mr Hart wrote: “Our community deserves an opportunity to be heard on this project, therefore, I write to invite you to join us and local Councillor Daphne McDonald for a forum in Palm Beach. I propose you nominate a suitable date between the 12th April and the 31st May 2021 for an evening meeting and I will arrange a suitable local venue and attendee registration.”
When he failed to get a response, Mr Hart wrote to the Premier, saying: “I find it both disappointing and concerning that rather than assist me as the shareholding minister in the project, he chose to make his response unnecessarily personal and political. I further enclose for your reference, the minister’s posts made in a Palm Beach community Facebook group regarding the 2020 election and light rail.
“The minister seems more interested in besmirching my standing than hearing community feedback. This is online trolling-bullying and I am sure you will agree this conduct is unbecoming of your cabinet minister.” Mr Bailey fired back by accusing Mr Hart of a scare campaign and promising another round of public consultation on the trams “in the coming months”.
“Given the 8 per cent swing against Mr Hart and his loss of all three Palm Beach polling booths for the first time since last October, it’s clear Mr Hart does not in fact represent the majority of Palm Beach residents,” he said.
“A majority of locals support light rail on the Gold Coast, not Mr Hart’s LNP scare campaign to stop the light rail going near his luxury apartment at Palm Beach and cut a heavy rail connection ever going to the airport by using up the corridor for trams instead.”
An independent study looked at several alternate routes and confirmed the highway would benefit the community the most, Mr Bailey said.
Mr Hart has placed a petition on the parliament website and continues letterboxing residents to encourage them to sign it.
“The people in my electorate are worried about the impact light rail might have.
“Some properties will be completely resumed, others partially, parking will be removed and traffic lanes reduced. My constituents deserve answers on a number of questions they have and the Minister is best placed to provide those answers, but he’s ignoring us.”