The Canberra Liberals need "get on board" with building a light rail network for the capital and be a party of "aspiration and optimism", a candidate who ran unsuccessfully for the party says.
Ramon Bouckaert said the Canberra Liberals had an opportunity to engage in introspection after being defeated on Saturday night.
"We have fought and lost multiple elections opposing light rail. In Kurrajong, which has seen first-hand the city building benefits of light rail, we faced a humbling 4 per cent swing against us," Mr Bouckaert wrote on X.
It’s clearer now than ever that Canberrans see a comprehensive, city-wide Light Rail network as part of that future. In my view, it’s time for us to get on board.
— Ramon Bouckaert - Liberal for Kurrajong (@RamonBouckaert) October 20, 2024
"If we want to remain viable as a voice for liberalism in Canberra, we need to be a party of aspiration and optimism, not a party of stubborn, grumbling, backwards negativity. We need to look towards our city's future and commit to building that future."
Mr Bouckaert, a former vice-president of the ACT Young Liberals, said it was clear Canberrans saw a city-wide light rail network as part of the future of the capital.
"In my view, it's time for us to get on board," he said.
But Mr Bouckaert said there was still parts of the Liberal campaign to be proud of and there would be a future where the Liberals can govern in the ACT.
"Yesterday we almost made it there," he said.
Mr Bouckaert received 1.8 per cent of the vote in Kurrajong, with 72.1 per cent counted.
Mr Bouckaert, 29, had informed preselectors that he had a favourable view of light rail.
"However, I am happy to promote the party line on this issue on the basis that the project is beset with problems, and there are more important spending priorities for a future Canberra Liberals government, such as health, education and quality of urban services," Mr Bouckaert wrote in a nomination form seen by The Canberra Times.
Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee announced in 2022 - just over halfway through the last parliamentary term - her party would not support extending light rail to Woden.
"Based on the information that we do have to date, we cannot see how this stacks up and we cannot in all good conscience support it," Ms Lee said at the time.
Weeks earlier, Ms Lee had said light rail was a "Labor-Greens white elephant", while declining to say whether her party supported the project.
Light rail is a signature policy of ACT Labor, which promised an extension to Woden before the 2016 election, which the Liberals opposed.
The first light rail stage, linking Gungahlin and the city, began operations in April 2019, following years of planning and construction.
The Liberals did not oppose the project at the 2020 election.
During the 2024 election campaign, Ms Lee was highly critical of the government's handling of the project, which she said was a "shemozzle".
The Opposition Leader said Labor and the Greens, which had promised light rail for more than a decade, still had no idea about the final route, cost or when it would be built.
"The fact is, this is a chief minister who is making stuff up as he goes because he has no intention of delivering light rail to Woden," Ms Lee said.
Mr Barr in March said the government was working towards a construction period of 2028 to 2033 for the Woden light rail project. ACT Labor has repeatedly reaffirmed its commitment to the project.
"Canberrans have again voted to extend light rail, a strong public transport system," Mr Barr said on Saturday night.
