As the IMF predicts oil prices will double over the next decade, the State Government's slow-moving approach to light rail and public transport investment will leave West Australians acutely vulnerable to rising fuel costs, the Greens (WA) warned today.

Greens national transport spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam said the Federal Government had allocated four million dollars to WA for light rail despite the Barnett Government apparently neglecting to include the project on its list of priorities for federal funding.

As the IMF predicts oil prices will double over the next decade, the ongoing failure to fix years of under-investment in public transport has left Australians extremely vulnerable to rising fuel prices, the Greens warned today.

Greens transport spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam said Commonwealth infrastructure funds are still pouring into road building while public transport lags far behind, despite warnings from the International Monetary Fund and the Government's own BITRE 117 report that the price of oil is set to skyrocket.

Policy and Research - Incorporating BITRE

Topics covered:

• Peak Oil
• Leaked BITRE Report 117
• Aviation projections

(An exchange with Senator Edwards is included as he also raises the Missing BITRE Report 117)

CHAIR: I welcome officers from Policy and Research. We will go straight to questions from Senator Edwards.

Despite limited terms of reference, the COAG reform council's findings on its first ever report on capital cities has made the urgent need for action clear, the Greens said today.

Greens transport and sustainable cities spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam said state and federal governments are "on notice" to deal with the planning crises in Australia's capital cities.

Senator LUDLAM: I am going to pick up on a couple of themes from the last time we spoke, which was in October, about cycling, and whether or not cycling and assisting people to get out of cars and onto bikes counts as Nation Building. The easy answer is 'No,' since we do not fund it, but I am interested to know how Nation Building 2 will be used to support the objectives of the National Urban Policy. It says that it will. Can you talk us through how it will do that? 

RURAL AFFAIRS AND TRANSPORT LEGISLATION COMMITTEE
Major Cities Unit
18 October 2011

The Australian Greens have reacted strongly to confirmation that fossil fuel companies successfully pressured energy minister Martin Ferguson to enlist ASIO and the Federal Police in spying on climate change and clean energy activists.

"This is a deliberate abuse of the role of Australian security agencies, who have better things to do than follow the dictates of foreign coal and energy corporations," Australian Greens Senator Scott Ludlam said.

The "year of decision and delivery" is quickly coming to an end and the Prime Minister is determined to get the government's mining tax passed through the House of Representative this week before the summer break of Parliament. The Senate would then deal with the legislation when Parliament resumes in 2012.

The "year of decision and delivery" is quickly coming to an end and the Prime Minister is determined to get the government's mining tax passed through the House of Representative this week before the summer break of Parliament. The Senate would then deal with the legislation when Parliament resumes in 2012.

Senator HANSON»-«YOUNG» (South Australia) (11:01): It is with great pride that I rise today to commend the Clean Energy Bill 2011 and associated bills to the Senate.