In a fiery speech Keira MP Ryan Park delivered an ultimatum to the government – reverse the decision to charge fares on the Gong Shuttle.
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“Our community when we fight, we win,” Mr Park.
“This Premier, this Transport Minister and this parliamentary secretary for the region have pulled the wrong rein.
“They’ve got 24 hours – reverse this decision. Otherwise, they will see a fury launched on Macquarie Street like no other.
“We will make protests of other things seem small fry because I can assure you, while there’s air in our lungs we will fight to keep the Gong Shuttle free.”
Mr Park labelled it a “dumb decision from a dumb government” and delivered a blunt message to the “bureaucrat in Sydney” who came up with it.
“Pack your bags, mate. Sign off, tap the mat and get out. Because you’ve got no place as a public servant in NSW,” Mr Park said.
Mr Park branded Premier Gladys Berejiklian “a liar” after her 2013 pledge to keep the bus “forever more”.
“My message to the Premier is very simple – you’re a liar,” Mr Park said.
“You lied to our community and we’re going to fight. Paul Scully and I are going to fight every single day to ensure that what I think is the worst decision this government has made since 2011 is put in the same place as the stupid decision to privatise Shellharbour Hospital was put, and the same place [as the decision] to stupidly try and amalgamate our local councils was put.”
Wollongong MP Paul Scully was unhappy with the way the government had been treating the region.
“I don’t know what it is about this government,” Mr Scully said.
“I don’t know why it hates Wollongong but it seems to go out of its way to rip out every decent service we have and I’m quite sick of it.
“This argument that overcrowding [on the Gong Shuttle] is a reason to put fares on it is preposterous.
“If it was the case overcrowding was the reason to increase fares, then fares would be skyrocketing on the South Coast rail services because they’re overcrowded too.
“The bottom line here is will will fight and we will fight every step of the way to make sure the Gong Shuttle remains a free service.”
Mr Scully has launched his own petition to keep the Gong Shuttle free and said he and Mr Park would be getting on the bus to collect signatures.