Federal ALP has announced that they would give $3.2 billion to Sydney's urban transport. This comes on top of $742mil to rail in Redcliffe Bay in north Brisbane.

This is very interesting: ALP's Justine Elliot now says that our rail is a state responsibility and nothing to do with her. Sexton's Hill bypass has been funded $315 million. We're asking for less than half of that for 132km of rail.

To quote from a a newsletter Justine Elliot distributed in Aug 2006 "Locals are telling me that they are sick of their train being used as a political football."  TOOT couldn't agree more. 

Here are some press stories from 2004:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2004/08/20/1181350.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2004/08/20/1181350.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/news/australia/nsw/northcoast/200408/s1181350.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200408/s1181416.htm
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/08/22/1093113056439.html

And here is the "Community Victory" leaflet that was letter boxed everywhere in 2004.

Finally, from Justine Elliot's First Speech to parliament in 2004:

from 4th paragraph:

I have always said that I will put the community first. Forget the buck-passing and politics—I am here to do a job, and that is to represent Richmond. So I look forward to working with anyone, in a bipartisan fashion, to find new opportunities and to deliver for the people of Richmond.

from 9th paragraph:I will be making sure that our elderly people get what they need, including access to health care services; an after-hours GP clinic; a bed in a nursing home, if they need one; access to home care services, if they want to remain in their homes; and safe, affordable public transport—in particular, a long-term commitment must be made to the restoration of our XPT train. Many locals are very positive about federal Labor's long-term commitment to restoring the train.