![Transport Minister Chris Steel. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong Transport Minister Chris Steel. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/35sFyBanpD896MKnAH5FRtj/2bd4b7af-2c74-4174-af36-4ad9030402e2.jpg/r0_276_5400_3324_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Transport Minister Chris Steel has channelled former Liberal senator and ACT opposition leader Zed Seselja in a passionate defence of extending light rail to Canberra's southside.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
"As Senator Seselja said, 'The debate is over'," Mr Steel said in question time on Thursday to an eruption of opposition interjections.
"'What I've always said that once the first stage of light rail is completed, it makes absolute sense to expand that and not just have a network from Gungahlin to the city.' I couldn't agree with him more."
Mr Seselja, who lost his Senate seat at the 2021 election to independent David Pocock, had made the comments in February 2021, at an announcement of Commonwealth funding for light rail stage 2A. Mr Seselja had opposed light rail as ACT opposition leader at the 2012 election.
Mr Steel had been asked on Thursday by the Liberals' Mark Parton whether the ACT government still intended to consider extending light rail to Mawson as part of stage 2B, a condition of forming government with the Greens.
"That's what we'll do, and in fact some work has already been undertaken which will be used to inform that work and we'll be looking at a potential extension as far as Beasley Street in Farrer and Torrens," he said.
![ACT Transport Minister Chris Steel, then-deputy prime minister Michael McCormack, then-senator Zed Seselja and ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr at a light rail funding announcement in February 2021. Picture by Keegan Carroll ACT Transport Minister Chris Steel, then-deputy prime minister Michael McCormack, then-senator Zed Seselja and ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr at a light rail funding announcement in February 2021. Picture by Keegan Carroll](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/35sFyBanpD896MKnAH5FRtj/3a37a635-1ca1-4ad9-830b-2f86c37cba6e.jpg/r0_210_4104_2526_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"We will be looking at the benefits of that system but also the costs as part of that extension as part of the business case for stage 2B because we're committed to building a city-wide light rail network."
The Canberra Liberals have said they would halt work on the light rail link between Commonwealth Park and Woden if the party forms government after the 2024 territory election.
Mr Steel said: "I know the opposition want to cling on to this weird view that some Canberrans on the southside shouldn't have access to the same great public transport that people enjoy on the northside. We disagree with their view."
READ MORE A.C.T. POLITICS:
Mr Parton asked Mr Steel whether the final cost of light rail's second stage would be more than $4000 million if it were extended to Mawson.
"I reject the premise of the question. We'll of course consider the costs and the benefits of extending light rail to the southside, as part of the business case of stage 2B. There will be substantial benefits, benefits that the opposition don't want the southside to realise or benefit from," Mr Steel said.
The government has not yet released a figure for the complete cost of light rail to Woden, citing commercially sensitive negotiations.
The Canberra Liberals have said they estimated the cost to be more than $3 billion for the project.
We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.