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Nepean News 20 February 2014 Issue 118
Badgerys: the political hot potato By Kerrie Martin
SURPRISE support for Badgerys Creek airport has been declared from state and federal Labor leaders John Robertson and Bill Shorten - as Prime Minister Tony Abbott establishes a committee of western Sydney MPs to report concerns and give advice on potential impacts. The establishment of the committee has stalled an expected decision on the second airport, but many insiders say that decision has been made and will be announced in favour of the Badgerys site within the next month. The committee is said to include Liberals Fiona Scott (Lindsay), Louise Markus (Macquarie), Russell Matheson (Macarthur) Craig Laundy (Reid) Craig Kelly (Hughes) Alex Hawke (Mitchell) and Liberal Senator Marise Payne. Many of the members have already been on the record as being against building the second airport at the Badgerys Creek site. Labor MP for Chifley, Ed Husic was expelled from the parliament
chamber last week after getting a bit hot under the collar about the selection of Liberal-only members on the committee and labeling a green light on Badgerys a lie to the Australian public from the Prime Minister. Mr Husic had moments earlier delivered a five minute address to the Chamber on the subject of Badgerys Creek Airport. “The Prime Minister has created a handpicked Committee of Sydney MPs to thrash out the issue of an airport for Badgerys Creek,” said Mr Husic. “But is there a Western Sydney Labor MP to be found anywhere on that Committee? No,” he added. “Western Sydney continues to be insulted by the Prime Minister and his Government when it comes to this vexed issue of Badgerys Creek. The latest slap in the face is a committee of Liberal MPs, some of whose electorates are vast distances from Badgerys Creek. “The Member for Mitchell, Alex Hawke’s electorate is based at Castle Hill. He is on the committee. The Member for Reid, Craig Laundy has also been invited to the table, yet his electorate office is at Burwood.
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Labor MP Ed Husic was ejected from parliament last week
“Just last year the then Opposition Leader, now Prime Minister Tony Abbott said there were absolutely no plans for an airport at Badgerys Creek. Well obviously there are plans for an airport at Badgerys Creek and Tony Abbott has lied to the people of Western Sydney. “I said so today in Parliament and was thrown out because of it. “But I make no apologies, because I will continue to stand up for my constituents in Chifley, good people
Western Sydney Liberal Committee members: Senator Marise Payne and Fiona Scott MP pictured with Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
who continue to be kept in the dark and insulted,” he concluded. Many in the Penrith business sector are in support of the Badgerys Creek site, citing that the development around the airport and the jobs it would create would bring a muchneeded boost to the region. Badgerys Creek was first tagged as the proposed site for a second Sydney airport back in the 1970s and has been a hot political potato ever since.