ACT Transport Minister Chris Steel was censured in the Legislative Assembly last week for the bungled rollout of the territory's MyWay+ public transport ticketing system. The $64 million upgrade faced issues with its website, app, and ticketing stations, and personal details of users were accessible online before and after launch.
A committee inquiry found the project was 'too large and complex' and that community testing was 'undertaken so poorly that it was almost meaningless'. Despite the censure, Mr Steel initially stopped short of apologising, saying he 'took full responsibility'.
Five days later, Mr Steel issued a statement apologising to anyone impacted by the transition. He acknowledged the project could have benefited from a delayed launch and better explanation of features not available at launch, pledging to 'do better' with future projects.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr supported Mr Steel, stating he received 'bad advice' and that lessons were learned. However, political marketing lecturer Andrew Hughes said the reputational damage might already be done, noting the difference between taking responsibility and apologising.
Dr Hughes said the bungling hurts the government's brand, as public transport is a basic service expected to work effectively. He added that the censure motion by supporting parties served as a warning to the government not to take power for granted.
