House of Assembly Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1) 53 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Public Transport Levy Public Transport Levy Mr WINGARD House of Assembly Mitchell Public Transport Levy Mr WINGARD (Mitchell) (15:07): My question is to the Treasurer. Given the government's backflip and absorption of the $1.3 million football transport levy, or fun tax, where will the government recoup these funds to meet the budget? The Hon. J.J. SNELLING House of Assembly The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Point of order: the question contained argument. The member referred to the transport development levy as a 'fun tax' and I ask you to rule the question out of order. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: If the member does that again I will simply withdraw leave or skip him on the list. Mr WINGARD House of Assembly Mr WINGARD: If, I can, with indulgence, reword the question then sir— The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: No, we will take it as it is, minus the comment. Mr WINGARD House of Assembly Mr WINGARD: Thank you. The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN House of Assembly Lee Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Minister Assisting the Minister for Planning Minister Assisting the Minister for Housing and Urban Development The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister Assisting the Minister for Planning, Minister Assisting the Minister for Housing and Urban Development) (15:08): I assume the member for Mitchell is referring to the agreement which has been reached by the two AFL clubs (Port Power and the Adelaide Crows), the SANFL and the Adelaide Oval Stadium Management Authority to directly contribute towards the cost of providing, on the day, free public transport services for football fans for the 2015 AFL season. I know it has been a matter of particular interest to the member for Mitchell. The member has asked me questions both during question time and also in estimates about it, and in fact as recently, I think, as the last sitting week. Each time those questions have been asked, I have been at some pains to explain the policy behind the legislation—legislation, I should point out, which the opposition supported within the budget bills—and, that is that the government thinks it is reasonable that those people who benefit from the provision of public transport services on the day for football matches at Adelaide Oval make a contribution towards it. I have made it very clear that in the arrangements for commercial events of above 5,000 attendees, such as the AFL football games at Adelaide Oval, we expect the venue manager to negotiate with government about how best to make a contribution towards the costs of providing those public transport services. I have been at pains to say that it won't necessarily be the case that the full costs of those services will be paid by the ticketholders who go along to those events as attendees. It may well be the case, and I think it's a reasonable expectation, given that both sides of politics have supported the legislation, that those organisations who derive a commercial benefit out of holding these events make a contribution towards the costs of delivering tens of thousands of fans, each and every week, to those events, as is the case with these AFL games at Adelaide Oval, and that's exactly what we have seen. We have seen the commercial operators of these events—Adelaide Crows, Port Power, the Stadium Management Authority and the SANFL—make a contribution. That's a good thing; that's something that we foreshadowed time and time again. It's a great thing for fans, it's a great thing for the Oval and it's a great thing for the 2015 AFL season.