BUS PASSENGER NUMBERS

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg) (15:00): Excellent. Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is to the Minister for Transport Services. Will the minister justify her position in cabinet and the spend of $1.5 million for her ministerial office considering that there are now fewer bus boardings this year than six years ago? The government figures show that an estimated 63.7 million bus trips were taken in 2011-12. This is 2.2 million less than last year and is—

The Hon. C.C. Fox: Fewer.

Ms CHAPMAN: Fewer?

The Hon. C.C. Fox interjecting:

Ms CHAPMAN: I know, 'fewer'.

The SPEAKER: Order!

Ms CHAPMAN: It can be 'less'.

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Bragg, you will your finish your question.

Ms CHAPMAN: But it is 2.2 million fewer trips than last year and is even lower than 2005-06.

The SPEAKER: Member for Bragg, I am not sure why the minister would be asked to justify her position in cabinet. I do not think that is an appropriate question, but she may choose to answer the question considering it has been asked.

The Hon. C.C. FOX (Bright—Minister for Transport Services) (15:02): In answer to the first part of that question, obviously I do not comment on anything that occurs in cabinet as she would well know. Secondly, in relation to people taking public transport, recently, in the past 18 months, you would be aware that there has been a lot of infrastructure development occurring around rail, and certainly around railways, and I particularly refer to the Adelaide Convention Centre.

Now, because of the extraordinary works that are carrying on all over this city the city is changing and it is true that for some people it has been more convenient to use their vehicles instead of using the services they would normally use. We would be expecting those numbers to rise again in the very near future.