RAIL CONTRACT MANAGEMENT

Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (14:37): My question is to the Minister for Transport. I will just give him a moment to calm down. Can the minister assure the house that all key performance indicators for rail contract management, in particular for rail vehicle inspections and rail and public safety, are being met, and guarantee the public that appropriate quarterly audits and assessments will be undertaken in the future?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Dr McFETRIDGE: In the Auditor-General's Report (part B of volume 5, page 1,397) the Auditor-General states:

The audit identified gaps in the performance assessment for the TransAdelaide contract in relation to rail vehicle inspections. Audit found that the PTD [Public Transport Division] does not test this KPI as part of the quarterly audits...no assessment was undertaken.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON (Elder—Minister for Transport, Minister for Infrastructure, Minister for Energy) (14:39): Once again we have the opposition trawling through the Auditor-General's Report to find—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I am prepared to pitch my reading skills against the Leader of the Opposition's any time, any place, under any test. Can I just make that clear for him in case he makes that silly remark again. I am happy to pitch mine against his, any time, any place. We can even do a spelling bee, if he wants. Would you be in that, a spelling bee? Of course, I do not spend as much time reading great French philosophers like Albert Camus, but I can read. I loved that book. What was it? L'Etranger; that was a great one. I do not think he has read that one.

The matter referred to by the Auditor-General, I am advised—and I will provide further detail as these matters are examined in the Auditor-General's report—is that it is not a question of examinations; it is a question of examinations that meet the KPI. My advice is that the examination of buses meet the key performance indicators in the contract, but the examinations on rail cars are, in fact, different but better than the KPI and the approach that is likely to be taken out of this is, in fact, a change to the KPI. I can assure you that these—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Members opposite are always disappointed when I get things wrong. You would think, out of the great experience that they have had of getting things wrong, that they would be less disappointed. We are talking about inspections, and I will provide greater detail. I understand, after getting some hysterical misinformation from the Leader of the Opposition in a letter inviting him to a briefing, he has decided not to come but to send the member for Morphett.

Mr Hamilton-Smith interjecting:

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I see, he is the shadow minister, but when he thinks there is a bit of a political goal he does not remember the shadow minister, does he? He is always out there on his own. The poor old shadow minister does not get much of a look in with the alternate premier on the job, does he? He is going to send the member for Morphett for a briefing. I am quite happy to explain the system of inspections to the member for Morphett.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I am a nice fellow. Members opposite should not dislike me so much and interject so much. Once you get to know me, I am a very nice fellow. Mr Speaker, I am trying to be good but—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.J. Atkinson: How long was it before I realised you were a nice guy?

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I am a nice fellow, and don't you forget it! The inspections that are referred to are things like inspections of seats, cleanliness and hygiene, attesting to the contract. I am absolutely assured today by Heather Webster, the head of the Public Transport Division, that these are not matters associated with safety. As I said, the buses are inspected according to the KPI. My understanding is that the train carriages are inspected at least equal to the KPI, so probably in a superior fashion. As I said, my advice is that it is likely that they would seek to change the KPI, but I will get further details. I will make sure that when the member comes for the briefing that we offered the Leader of the Opposition—who is the one who was out there making all the misinformed statements—we will make sure that he is fully briefed on these inspections as well.