We need a Minister who can get the trains running

2022-02-22

The Greens NSW condemn the Perrottet government's handling of industrial negotiations with train workers. The Greens are calling on Premier Dominic Perrottet to acknowledge his government's responsibility for this rolling disaster, and to sack Transport Minister David Elliott for throwing Sydney's transport network into chaos.

The Liberal-National government's decision to lock out train workers, bringing the entire Sydney train network crashing to a halt, showed this government's willingness to use the residents of Sydney as collateral damage in their ideological warfare against workers and their unions.

Quotes attributable to Greens NSW MP and spokesperson for Transport Abigail Boyd:

"The people of NSW aren't falling for Perrottet's lies, they know the responsibility for yesterday's fiasco falls squarely on the shoulders of Perrottet and his Cabinet.

"David Elliott was a Perrottet appointee, and responsibility for this massive disruption ultimately rests with him and his choice of incompetent Transport Minister. Perrottet must now act swiftly and decisively to remove Elliott from the portfolio and put someone in the job who can get the trains running.

"Whether it's defective trams, ferries and trains, increasingly bitter industrial negotiations, or the budget black hole that is the Transport Asset Holding Entity (TAHE), it's obvious that what Transport for NSW needs right now is a safe pair of hands.

"The Minister for Transport has this week demonstrated to the Premier and the state he's clearly not equal to the task, and must go."