Road Network Charge

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:38): Thank you, member for Croydon. My question is to the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure. What scoping work has been done on the road network charges on trucks for the new Northern Connector project?

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) (14:39): What the government announced—indeed, what the Premier announced—last November was that the South Australian government was willing to consider a network access charge for heavy vehicles across the state not necessarily to apply to a particular road. That is, obviously, a markedly different concept from the concept of a toll which would apply to a single stretch of road, to all vehicles (heavy or otherwise) that traverse that road. It's obviously a very significant difference and a difference between the political parties in this chamber.

We’ve made it clear that while we're happy to investigate a network charge to apply across the state and while we would embark on work to investigate that and potentially to trial it with the involvement of industry, what we wouldn't support is a toll. That's obviously something the opposition now supports, despite telling people in the lead-up to the last election that they didn't support tolls. In fact, I remember the comments which were made by the deputy leader herself on 7 January 2014 where she said tolls on trucks were the slippery slope to tolls on light vehicles and they would never be supported by the South Australian Liberal Party. Of course, 130 days later there was a complete and utter backflip by the deputy leader.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: It's wrong, is it? Well, move the motion and let's have a debate.

The SPEAKER: The member for Stuart is warned a first time. Deputy leader.