Despite having promised to restore rail services to the electorate of Richmond in the previous two federal election campaigns, Justine Elliot, has now claimed the problem has nothing to do with her and is a state issue.
In her bid to win the seat for the ALP in 2004 she claimed that a Mark Latham would provide the funding to the State Government to restore the original train service.
In her maiden speech in Parliament, she confirmed the promise and described it as being a suitable cause to apply the fire that she felt for serving the community.
There is no better place to use that fire than right here in federal parliament, representing the people of Richmond. I want to work with all levels of government and within the community to make sure their needs are met. I have always said that I will put the community first. Forget the buck-passing and politics—I am here to do a job, and that is to represent Richmond. So I look forward to working with anyone, in a bipartisan fashion, to find new opportunities and to deliver for the people of Richmond...
...Richmond reflects the challenges of an ageing population—20 per cent of people living in Richmond are aged 65 and over. This fact alone means there is enormous pressure on our health and social services. Health services and access to aged care facilities are vitally important to people living in Richmond. I will be making sure that our elderly people get what they need, including access to health care services; an after-hours GP clinic; a bed in a nursing home, if they need one; access to home care services, if they want to remain in their homes; and safe, affordable public transport—in particular, a long-term commitment must be made to the restoration of our XPT train. Many locals are very positive about federal Labor's long-term commitment to restoring the train...
She repeated these promises in the 2007 campaign, reiterating that it was a priority for her second term.
Obviously that fire has gone out in the 2010 election campaign, because she washed her hands of the issue.
