00:00Surely, many people are right to say that the A9 just wasn't the top priority for the Scottish Government
00:10because there was the money. There's four or five thousand million a year.
00:15Plainly, at least some of the sections which haven't yet been dualled could have been dualled
00:21if more priority was attached. And again, Nicola, that is a strongly held view within the Highlands
00:29so that's why I'm putting it to you today to see if you think that's a fair point
00:35or if it's completely unfair to yourself and your colleagues who were making the decisions at the time.
00:41If it's possible to be both of those things, I know that's probably the classic politician answer
00:47which I'm trying not to give, it's an absolutely fair point for people in the Highlands to look at it
00:51and say, well, the A9 should have been prioritised above the other demands on the capital budget.
00:58If I was living in the Highlands, no doubt that is the view I would have.
01:01So I am not in any way suggesting that that is somehow an unfair observation or view for Highlanders to hold.
01:10I suppose the other part of that though is in the way you posed that question to me
01:14and I understand why you're doing it and you're doing it on behalf of your constituents
01:18so I'm not criticising that in any way but you've been in government for many years.
01:23To point to a big budget with a particular project that is, relative to the size of the budget, relatively small
01:31and say, well, why couldn't that have been done, just doesn't fully encapsulate the process of budgeting.
01:36So whatever the quantum of the capital budget was, and you know this as well as I do from your time in government,
01:43the demands on that budget for most of the time I was in government, if not all of the time, exceeded the quantum of the budget.
01:51Now within that, of course, there is a legitimate question about the relative priority that different projects get
01:57but the process of budgeting is we try to balance all of these things to progress everything we want to do
02:05and that will inevitably lead to different projects or supporters of different projects feeling at times that theirs is not getting the priority it needs.
02:14But simply to point to the size of the budget and the cost of the A9 and somehow say that there was no problem with funding our capital programme,
02:22I think that's the bit that's not a fair characterisation of how these things work.
02:27As the convener said, our focus is not really so much trying to carry out a post-mortem,
02:34it's more prognosis than diagnosis in terms of how can we put this right and how can we put it right as quickly as possible.
02:43And do you think it's fair as a seasoned, experienced politician that you would consent to this,
02:50that other parts of Scotland have actually done quite well in terms of transport infrastructure projects over the evolution,
02:58over the 25 years where both of us have been servants in this place.
03:02We've seen the Borders Railway, we've seen, as you said, the Aberdeen Peripheral Road,
03:07we've seen massive improvements in the M74 and M8, we've seen the Forth Crossing, magnificent,
03:17and, well, Edinburgh shows the trams.
03:21So other parts of Scotland have had massive investment and that's welcome,
03:27but would you agree that it's now, if you like, the Highlands' turn?
03:32Perhaps after this response I'll invite Maurice Golden to come in with a question.
03:36Yes, and just as an aside, Edinburgh, well, certain parliament at the time,
03:42against the wishes of the government you and I were both part of, choosing the trams,
03:47did have an implication on other aspects of the capital programme at that time, but that's an aside.
03:53You know, all of these projects you've spoken about were necessary and important projects.
03:58As a relatively new driver, I've only recently been driving across some of these projects.
04:03I drove the A9 myself for the first time just a couple of weeks ago.
04:08So these projects were all important and I don't think it is, and I don't think this is the point you're making.
04:14You know, it's not the case that we inappropriately prioritise, you know,
04:19whether the Queensferry Crossing or the M74 improvements or the Borders Railway,
04:24but I suppose my short answer to your question would be yes, I do think now it should be,
04:29As I would argue it has been, albeit that we ran into the difficulties that I've been speaking about,
04:36I would certainly hope and expect that the government now prioritises completing the A9.
04:42And I think the programme now that has been set out with the timescales will still have challenges along the way.
04:48I would be astonished if it didn't. That, to me, looks like a programme that will succeed
04:55and I think it is absolutely essential that it's given the priority to ensure that it does.
