Taxation Reform

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:29): Supplementary, sir.

The SPEAKER: Supplementary. The leader queried my use of the term 'tendentious' and queried whether it was part of the English lexicon at all:

Tendentious…adjective derogatory, calculated to promote a particular cause or viewpoint, having an underlying purpose...

Mr MARSHALL: You've had far too much time on your hands. My supplementary is, of course, to the Premier. Will the Premier guarantee that the proposed freight network charge on trucks will not increase costs for the trucking industry in South Australia?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier) (14:30): Mr Speaker, let's just go back to what the trucking industry has said about this. The objective is to increase the productivity of the trucking industry so that it will actually reduce costs. And, why do I say that? Well, the trucking—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Let's just travel back to actually understand where—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Treasurer is an instant away from being removed from the service of the house.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Mr Speaker, let's just reflect back on how this debate has developed. The road transport industry have been out there for some considerable time urging the government and the opposition to impose tolls. The reason, presumably, they have been advancing the imposition of tolls was to fund new infrastructure. That was the proposition that was advanced to both the opposition and to the Labor Party.

Both parties ruled out tolls in the course of the last election. We ruled them out on the basis that they were not practical and did not suit the South Australian network and, in any event, we were philosophically opposed to them being applied to motorists, but in relation to the transport sector—the road transport sector, the commercial sector—we didn't believe that they would work appropriately. The idea of industry making a contribution to allow further productive investment in road infrastructure is something that we have supported and continue to investigate and are discussing actively in relation to some mining infrastructure. We are interested in opening up that discussion in relation to network charging. The reason why industry are proposing those network charges—

The Hon. S.C. Mullighan interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Transport is called to order.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Is that the meat industry I can hear there? They move things on trucks as well. The truth is that the reason why industry is proposing that there be some user charge is because they want an improved road network, which in turn will increase productivity, which in turn will reduce costs. That's why they are advancing it. That's why we are exploring it. We're not interested in building new roads to carry trucks just to create work. We are doing it because it will make an increase in the productive infrastructure of the state, increasing productivity, reducing costs, and so, of course, that's the objective of that initiative.

Mr Gardner interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Morialta is warned for the second and final time.