SCHOOL BUS CONTRACTS

Mr TRELOAR (Flinders) (15:10): My question is to the Minister for Education. With the expectation by DECS that school bus contracts currently expiring will be rolled over for a further period of up to two years, will the government be including realistic operating cost increases until new contracts are negotiated? Major deficiencies currently exist in the indexing system that are causing the erosion of school bus contract values. DECS would be aware of this but is refusing to rectify those deficiencies.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Minister for Education, Minister for Early Childhood Development) (15:10): I thank the honourable member for his question. It is a good question and I do not want, in my answer, to suggest that the concerns that he raises are not real ones. I have tried to give the house as much information as I can in circumstances where I am about to approach cabinet with a set of decisions about that. I have spoken to industry; I have spoken to a number of MPs, including the ones I mentioned as well as some members in the upper house, including the Hon. Robert Sneath, about these matters. I have all the points of view on board and I will take them into account. I am hopeful of making an early decision so we can settle this anxiety that I know exists amongst the private operators.