Independent Member for Kurrajong Thomas Emerson MLA has voiced his dismay after the major parties teamed up to remove calls for ACT Government action on the fuel crisis in an Assembly motion late yesterday afternoon. 

Mr Emerson was among multiple MLAs who proposed amendments to a private member’s motion from Opposition Leader Mark Parton, which in its original form called for the ACT Government to implement 50-cent public transport fares until 30 June 2026 and for Members to ask the Prime Minister to temporarily reduce the fuel excise.

Mr Emerson’s amendment called for the ACT Government to encourage increased public and active transport uptake by trialling dedicated bus lanes on rapid bus routes and implementing pop-up separated bike lanes on key traffic corridors like Northbourne Avenue. Despite unanimous support from the crossbench, his amendment was voted down by the major parties, whose negotiations ultimately resulted in a watered-down motion with no firm commitment to any action on the part of the ACT Government. 

“The primary outcome of this motion is that we’re all required to write letters to the Prime Minister,” Mr Emerson said.

“It’s incredibly disappointing that the major parties teamed up to vote against the ACT Government implementing any practical measures that would have actually supported Canberrans to reduce their fuel consumption.

“We’ve got a fuel supply crisis that’s not going away, and we’re literally doing nothing about it.

“The Government is encouraging people in our community to use less fuel, but isn’t providing the infrastructure needed to make that viable,

“This was a missed opportunity to show some real leadership and deliver lower public transport fares, dedicated bus lanes and pop-up bike lanes to make reduced car usage a viable option for Canberrans,” said Mr Emerson.

During the debate, Mr Emerson disputed any argument that these proposals were too hard, too costly or would take too long to implement, citing multiple interstate and international examples, including a report on what happened in Berlin during the COVID-19 pandemic entitled Making Safe Space for Cycling in 10 Days.

Meanwhile, a similar motion from independent Senator David Pocock - co-sponsored by the Greens - was also voted down in the Senate yesterday afternoon when Labor opposed it and the Liberals abstained from the vote, despite support from the Nationals. The motion called on the Federal Government to work with state and territory governments to deliver accessible, free or affordable nationwide public transport, and to significantly increase planning and investment to integrate active transport infrastructure to support walking and cycling projects across Australia.

“This was an opportunity for multipartisan collaboration at both levels of government to support Australians struggling through this fuel crisis by providing genuine alternative transport options, but the major parties couldn’t bring themselves to commit to doing anything,” said Mr Emerson.

MEDIA CONTACT: Will Devine | 0402 183 296 | [email protected]

BACKGROUND:

The original motion is available here.

Mr Emerson’s amendment, which was supported by the crossbench but opposed by ACT Labor and the Canberra Liberals, is available here.

An amendment from ACT Greens MLA Andrew Braddock, which was also supported by the crossbench but opposed by ACT Labor and the Canberra Liberals, is available here.

An amendment from Transport Minister Chris Steel MLA, which was supported by the Canberra Liberals but opposed by Mr Emerson and the ACT Greens, is available here.

An amendment from independent MLA Fiona Carrick, which was supported unanimously, is available here.

The final motion as passed is available here.