Transport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe was invited by Queensland Rail Board to attend emergency meeting
TRANSPORT Minister Stirling Hinchliffe’s justification for being at the V8 Supercars as the train crisis was unfolding has just been derailed.
QLD Politics
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TRANSPORT Minister Stirling Hinchliffe called a special meeting of the Queensland Rail board demanding they explain the cause of the timetabling nightmare before snubbing their invitation to attend.
Documents released by Right to Information laws reveal the letter Mr Hinchliffe and Treasurer Curtis Pitt wrote in late October requesting the board meet immediately to explain themselves over the mass cancellations and detail resourcing issues.
Mr Hinchliffe was criticised for attending the Gold Coast 600 Supercars instead of the meeting.
Defending his decision at the time, he said it was “not normal” for him to attend board meetings and he had been able to express his disappointment by dialling in.
But an email from chair Michael Klug shows he was specifically invited.
Mr Klug wrote to Mr Hinchliffe and Mr Pitt’s offices on the same day the emergency session was requested.
“An invitation is extended to both responsible ministers should you wish to attend,” Mr Klug wrote.
The meeting failed to produce any solid answers for the Government, with Mr Hinchliffe not finding out for another week the extent to which the lack of train crew had led to the problems – when The Courier-Mail uncovered a report QR had kept hidden from him.
The damning Indec report showed QR was aware from as early as January that train driver shortages threatened multiple projects.
Mr Hinchliffe would not be drawn yesterday on whether, in hindsight, he should have attended the meeting.
Opposition transport spokesman Andrew Powell said the decision to go “frolicking around in a corporate box at the Gold Coast 600” rather than addressing the crisis was “disgusting”.
“This guy left thousands of passengers stranded on platforms and then had the hide to blame others for his mess,” Mr Powell said. “Stirling Hinchliffe should have a good look in the mirror to find out who’s to blame for the rail crisis.”
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