Public Interest Debate - M5 East - Reply

05 August 2020

Mr ANOULACK CHANTHIVONG (Macquarie Fields) (17:37:21) — In reply: I thank the Minister for Transport and Roads, the Member for Riverstone, the Member for Seven Hills for their participation in the debate, and the Member for Oatley, who was dragged kicking and screaming to participate.

I note that we had silence from the Member for Holsworthy, who sits across this Chamber from the Opposition. The member for Holsworthy has been in the Chamber for minutes and could have sought leave to participate but did not do so. Her silence says everything about her stance on behalf of her communities.

I thank my good friends the Member for Lakemba and Member for Campbelltown for their contributions to the debate.

I reject entirely the Minister's amendments because they are disingenuous and insincere.

Labor's motion was related to fairness, understanding cost-of-living pressures and doing the right thing by our communities—not to remain silent when a public interest issue is before the House.

The Member for East Hills and the Member for Camden are not even present for the debate whereas the Member for Holsworthy, who is in the Chamber, remains silent.

The response from Government members was totally as expected—just spin and talking points.

Just because you say, "We're pretty", does not mean it is actually true, unless you actually believe in it.

The response by Government members to this debate is totally unsurprising. The Government has left people with making an impossible choice: They must choose between either missing family time because they are stuck in traffic or forking out more than $3,300 on an unfair toll for travelling on an old road.

This driver's tax could not come at a worse time. People are losing their jobs and our economy is going through the biggest recession in a generation.

The Liberal Party's economic policy to assist people to recover is to tax more, toll for longer and increase the cost of living. That is simply unfair to the people of south-west Sydney.

I know that Labor stands with our community, which is why the motion should be agreed to.

This House should support a motion that supports our community so that motorists do not have to pay a new toll for an old road, which is downright unfair.