From Hansard — Public transport: automatic ticketing
I refer the Minister for Transport to his statement in today’s Herald Sun newspaper that:
“Perhaps with 20/20 hindsight we may have tackled things in another way and not signed a contract for a system that had not been trialled anywhere else in the world.”
Given this extraordinary admission of failure, whom does the minister hold responsible for this $330-million fiasco? Is it the Premier, is it the Treasurer, or is it the former transport minister, who is now comfortably ensconced in the Agent-General’s office in London?
— John Brumby, then leader of the opposition, Questions without Notice, 18/11/1997
Only $330 million? Sounds like a bargain next to Myki, which is costing $494 million plus operating costs = $1.35 billion.
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PS. A figure from the Opposition in today’s Herald Sun claiming the $3.3m fit-out of the Department of Transport offices would have bought three trains appears to me to be inaccurate. In 2002, 58 3-car trains cost $332m, or $5.7m each. Also, it appears to be implying the money was spent at Nauru House — I though most of the bureaucrats had moved out of there to the SX Building next door, though some may remain.
2 replies on “Only $330 million?”
Fast foward 11 years later and Brumby is the biggest hypocrite. I cannot see him being premier in 2010. Brumby and the DoT clearly do not care about transport or commuters, they just care about connex and Brumby’s business mates.
If it were prosperous to be expedient, useless and incompetent, your name would be John Brumby and you would be the premier of Victoria.