TRAM DERAILMENT

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Leader of the Opposition) (14:47): My question is to the Premier. Before approving the Minister for Transport's absence today to attend a dinner, did he satisfy himself that the minister's statements to the house on 14 November 2007 about the Melbourne Cup Day derailment were accurate and truthful? On that day, the Minister for Transport told parliament the following:

There is no doubt that there is no fault in infrastructure. There is absolutely no doubt that the derailment was caused by human error.

But, yesterday, the minister tabled a report which states that a range of factors caused the derailment, including layout of signalling and signage which allowed for the signal to be obscured from the driver's vision; that the signal was located in a position as to be easily obscured by the driver's cabin sun visor; that the driver had been on leave for three weeks and had minimal exposure to and training in the new operating system; and that a higher level of trams running late than had been the norm for the tram service had placed extra stress on operational staff.

The Hon. M.D. RANN (Ramsay—Premier, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Social Inclusion, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change) (14:49): I find it extraordinary that there was an attempt to reflect on the Minister for Transport's absence. He is actually meeting with the federal Minister for Transport, which I would have thought—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: It is quite extraordinary if you are now saying that, if there are ministerial council meetings, it is not appropriate for ministers to attend.

Mr Hamilton-Smith interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of the Opposition will come to order.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: You know what this means? It means that you have a Leader of the Opposition who, if the Minister of Transport had not gone today, would be criticising the Minister for Transport.

The Hon. K.O. Foley: You agreed to the pair. You agreed to him going.

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: 'Pair agreed by Ivan Venning MP.' He is attending the Australian Transport Council, and he will be meeting with the federal Minister for Transport. I just find it extraordinary that you would try in any way to prevent that from happening. Of course, your form would be that, if he were sitting here today, you would be attacking him for not being in Canberra, because that is how shallow it all runs. I will get a report for the honourable member sine die.