[Greens-Media] Tas Greens_Sturges Confused on Rail Transfer Timetable_T Morris MP

[greens at parliament.tas.gov.au]

INFRASTRUCTURE MINISTER MUST CLARIFY CONFUSED COMMENT
 
And Reveal Melba Rail Line Takeover Timetable

Tim Morris MP
Greens Infrastructure Spokesperson

Sunday, 9 August 2009
Contact: State Parliamentary Offices of the Tasmanian Greens, (03) 6233
8300

www.tas.greens.org.au


The Tasmanian Greens today called on Infrastructure Minister Graeme
Sturges to clarify public comments he made last week regarding the
timetable for the purchase and transfer of Pacific National Tasmania's
(PNT) rail assets.

Greens Infrastructure spokesperson Tim Morris MP said Mr Sturges was
clearly confused about the sale details when he advised the public last
week that "we'll be able to meet the deadline of 30 November for the
sale agreement to be signed," when in fact the business sale agreement
was actually due to be signed by 31 July, with the 30th of November date
originally being the deadline for the final transfer of all PNT assets.

Mr Morris also called on the Minister to reveal what is now happening
with the west coast Melba Line, which was due to be taken over by the
government on 31 July, but which is now in limbo while the Minister
attempts to finalise the sale agreement.

"The Minister must reveal whether he made a mistake when he said the
sale agreement was due to be signed on 30 November, or whether he meant
the date for the finalisation of this agreement is now 30 November,"
said Mr Morris.

"The Melba Line is crucial to the mining industry on the West Coast, and
any failure in negotiations will have severe ramifications for the
entire region. We need to know when this line will be taken over by
government."  

"I suspect that the Infrastructure Minister is confused about the rail
sale timetable and has mixed up the date for the finalisation of the
sale agreement, which was 31 July, with the date for the final transfer
of all assets, which is 30 November."

"Unfortunately, due to the poor ethical standards regularly displayed by
this Bartlett Government we cannot assume that the Minister made a slip
of the tongue, so it is now incumbent on Minister Sturges to reveal
whether he has pushed back the signing of the rail business sale
agreement by four months, or whether he was confused when discussing the
timetable last week," said Mr Morris.


------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Reference:

"The Infrastructure Minister Graeme Sturges says negotiations are
continuing in good faith. 'There are a few matters that need to be
resolved in relation to the business sale agreement,' said Mr Sturges.
'But I'm confident that we'll be able to meet the deadline of 30
November for the sale agreement to be signed.'"

["No rail sale yet," ABC News, 1 August 2009,
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/01/2642986.htm ]




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