TRAM AIRCONDITIONING

Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (15:19): My question is to the Minister for Transport. Can the minister assure all South Australians that the airconditioning on the new trams will work adequately during the hot weather, and also have any tests for airborne bacteria and fungal activity been undertaken since the last tests in April 2007? Will those tests be accredited by the National Association of Testing Authorities and the Royal College of Pathologists? The last airconditioning tests for microbiological activity were not covered by the National Association of Testing Authorities and Royal College of Pathologists accreditation.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON (Elder—Minister for Transport, Minister for Infrastructure, Minister for Energy) (15:19): It is quite extraordinary. The member has run out of inventions to make so he is going back to an old one. I cannot believe that the member for Morphett is asking this question. When I was away he was thoroughly embarrassed in the house by the acting minister at the time, the current Minister for Families and Communities, because he had been running around making outrageous claims. From memory, I think he was even talking about legionnaire's disease, or some such. Those claims were shown to be totally unfounded.

I have no idea why he is coming back with another go at this. However, what I will do, knowing the member for Morphett, is go away and get a thoroughgoing answer for him. But if he is once again trying to scare people into thinking that they will catch a disease out of tram airconditioning, it is simply—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I will be happy to come back and, just once, I would like him to be a little bit embarrassed. Let me stress again what he said his approach was: 'It doesn't matter how many I get wrong; I'll get one right one day.'