Transcript of Television Interview – Channel Nine – Monday, 23 September 2019

SUBJECT: The proposal of a new WestConnex overpass.

REPORTER: What did you think about the new modification that has got this big overpass?

ANTHONY ALBANESE, LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY: Well this is a preposterous proposal and it is an example of bad planning and bad faith. The fact is that the community were told that this would be about putting cars underground. What we see now is the equivalent of the Cahill Expressway in the middle of Annandale, a breach of faith with no community consultation. And here we have circumstances as well whereby RMS and the WestConnex authority are not having same-time community consultations. RMS, the State Government, is directly responsible for this and they need to fix it.

REPORTER: They are saying it is to do with the proposed Western Harbour Tunnel, that there will be more traffic in the future and so we have to do the construction now, to make it bigger now to prepare for the future. What are your thoughts on that?

ALBANESE: This is about cost-cutting. It is about cheap solutions rather than the best solutions. When it comes to infrastructure, do it once and do it right.

REPORTER: Have you seen the picture? Do you think that it is an eyesore?

ALBANESE: The picture is clearly an eyesore but it is also the case that what will happen here is a complete breach. It will lead to more cars being above ground rather than what the community was promised. This community has put up with a lot of disruption. The least they can expect is that the Government is true to their words without imposing this monstrosity without any community consultation.