The Australian Trucking Association (ATA) Chief Executive, Stuart St Clair, has congratulated the newly
elected Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, on his election victory.
St Clair has expressed the need for the ATA and Government to maintain their positive working relationship to tackle the many issues that face the trucking industry today.
“We look forward to working with the new Australian Government to promote our message of safer
trucks, safer drivers and safer roads across the country,” St Clair says.
The ATA is now urging the Labor Government to follow through with election campaign promises to
fund major upgrades to road infrastructure throughout the country.
“Labor’s campaign showed its genuine grasp of the importance of continued upgrading of Australia’s
major freight corridors,” St Clair says.
St Clair says the ATA has worked with Shadow Transport Minister, Martin Ferguson for several years
now, to illustrate the need for funding injections into blackspots, major freight routes and rest areas with
the aim of triggering the productivity reform that is so badly needed for the trucking industry to flourish.
“The trucking industry cannot afford to see productivity levels stand still,” St Clair says.
The ATA is now urging the Prime Minister to consider the fine work already undertaken by Martin
Ferguson as Shadow Transport Minister as he puts together his cabinet.
“Mr Ferguson has shown a great deal of commitment and understanding of the transport community and
his elevation to the transport ministry would be welcomed by the trucking industry,” St Clair says.
“He has also provided clear evidence that Labor is getting serious about doing its part to ensure our roads will be in a suitable state to handle projected increases in the freight task over the next 20 years,” he says.
The Labor campaign saw much needed funding directed to key regional roads as well as major freight
corridors such as the Pacific Highway and highly congested networks in NSW and Victoria.
“As we wait for this week’s cabinet announcements, the ATA can assure the trucking industry that we will
continue to make certain that our projected messages are heard and that the focus on road infrastructure
is not lost in the post-election fall out.”