Gary Hardgrave (Moreton, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is disgraceful, Member for Hinkler. There is no way on earth that they do that in Hinkler—I hope. But why are they doing it to the residents of Sunnybank, Sunnybank Hills, Runcorn, Calamvale, Stretton and Algester? Why are they confronting people with heavy vehicles, B-doubles, using these side streets? If it had not been for the Australian government’s $1.7 million vote of support to residents’ sleep patterns, which has taken 221,000 trucks off the road between 10 at night at five in the morning—a toll-free truck trial over the last couple of years—there would not have been any change. The only change under the Beattie government has been to increase tax.

Let me tell the Main Committee the names of the people on the board of directors of the quango—the quasi-autonomous non-government organisation—that the Beattie government hides behind when it comes to tolls. David Gray is the chairman. He used to be the managing director of Boeing—terrific. The deputy chairman is a bloke called Robert Grice. He is a former chair of the South East Queensland Water Corporation. What a complete disaster he has been. Peter Lynch has been the chair of a variety of legal organisations, including the HIA. Don Muir is a former deputy director-general of the Queensland Department of Main Roads. Alan Tesch is currently the director-general of Main Roads. Rob Wensley QC is a Brisbane barrister. There are two people from the private sector. Then there is Tim Spencer, a chap who is the deputy under-treasurer at Queensland Treasury. They are the ones rubbing their hands together with glee as the money flows in. I would like to be proved wrong, but I do not reckon even one of them lives anywhere near these toll roads. Not one of them lives in the electorate of Moreton, according to my records. If they want to put their hands up and tell me they are a local constituent and they are paying the toll then I will actually go a little softer on them. But, as it currently stands, they inflict on people in my area a toll no-one else in Queensland is paying, and the Beattie government stands condemned. (Time expired)

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