Train Services

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:20): My question is to the Premier. Why did the government fail to consult the SACA, the SMA or Cricket Australia before announcing the shutdown of all train lines this weekend?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: For the audible exclamations on my left, I call to order the member for Hurtle Vale and the member for Light. The member for Badcoe and the member for Lee are warned. The Minister for Transport has the call.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL (Schubert—Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government, Minister for Planning) (14:21): The premise of that question is wrong. We did have discussions with the Stadium Management Authority in relation to this prior to the information going out, and we did that because the SMA are the people we are contracted with to deliver the public transport policy. Can I say that this line of questioning really does beggar belief. The member for Lee's then ministerial chief of staff is now the opposition leader's Chief of Staff.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order, sir.

The SPEAKER: There is a point of order. Minister, please be seated for one moment.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Debate, sir.

The SPEAKER: The point of order by the member for West Torrens is on debate. Whilst it is a rational one, I will listen to the minister's answer carefully. Minister, please do not be distracted. Please stick to the substance of the question. I am sure you will.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: Certainly. We are talking about consultation on rail line closures. I am sure that Mr Bistrovic should have remembered what happened last year.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order, sir: this is clearly now debate.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Minister, one moment. Members on my right!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I have the point of order. I am listening carefully to the answer. The minister is able to provide some relevant background information to answer the question. I will give him a little bit of a preamble, and then I expect him to stick to the substance of the question.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I know the member for West Torrens does not like being turfed out under 137A, especially if he has a question today; I am not sure, but he might. I ask members to listen to the answer.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: The opposition leader is basically saying, 'Do as I say, not as I do.' During the highest attended Ashes since 1933, the former government shut down half the train lines, and not just on the weekends when patronage on the normal routes is down and provides us with greater flexibility to be able to provide options. During days 1, 2 and 3, the highest attended days, the former government shut down half the train network. Somehow, that blew out of their mind. More than that, let's talk about raw numbers.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: Last year, there was an event—

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader is called to order.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: The pageant was attended by 330,000 South Australians, and the former government thought it was okay to shut down multiple train lines.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order, sir. The question was: why did the government fail to consult the SACA, the SMA and Cricket Australia?

The SPEAKER: I have the point of order. The question was about consultation. I think the minister is coming to the consultation very shortly.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for West Torrens and the leader are warned.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: We're talking about half a dozen Big Bash League games; New Year's Eve, which is possibly the biggest day of the year; 10 cruise ship arrivals when the Outer Harbor line wasn't running, which I would have thought would be reasonably important given how important cruise ships are to the South Australian tourism industry; as well as ODIs in the city and a host of other events when the former government shut down train lines. Now, if you want to talk about consultation, Mr Speaker—

The SPEAKER: Yes.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: —over the last four days, we have had extensive consultation with SACA. In fact—

The Hon. Z.L. Bettison: Why didn't you have it before?

The SPEAKER: The member for Ramsay is called to order.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: —earlier today, we released the timetable for this weekend. We have increased the frequency of buses along the train lines several-fold for this weekend. We are delivering more buses more frequently—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: —than would ever have been delivered using the train lines. I am confident that we have done everything we can to make sure that this weekend is a success. This is a government that wants to talk up our state and talk up our tourism opportunities. You have the SMA and SACA working their hardest to make sure that this week's event is a success. You have other departments—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: —like the Department for Trade, Tourism and Investment—

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, leader!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: —with an inbound Indian trade mission, trying to make sure that we can export more out of South Australia, and there is only one person who continues to want this event to fail and that is the Leader of the Opposition. He needs to get his act together. He needs to stop reading a little bit of Hanrahan and he needs to get on—

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order: debate.

The SPEAKER: The point of order is for debate. I uphold the point of order.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Debate and imputing improper motive, sir.

The SPEAKER: Is the minister finished? The minister has completed his answer. The member for Morphett.