Public Transport

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:30): My question is to the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure. Has a probity officer been appointed to monitor any process regarding the potential outsourcing, lease or sale of the train and tram network in South Australia?

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order: I believe that is a hypothetical question.

The SPEAKER: No, I am going to allow the question. Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL (Schubert—Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government, Minister for Planning) (14:30): It is a hypothetical state of affairs, I think, Mr Speaker, but can I say this: reform is hard. Reform is difficult because in order to make change you have to upset the status quo.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: And we certainly accept—

Ms Stinson interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Badcoe can leave for the remainder of question time.

The honourable member for Badcoe having withdrawn from the chamber:

An honourable member: Go on, you were telling us; you were giving us a lesson, a lecture about reform.

The SPEAKER: The minister has the call.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: We took a clear commitment to the South Australian election that we were going to improve public transport services, so—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: —it follows that we would look at new ideas to deliver public transport services here in South Australia. But can I reiterate that no decisions have been made. No decisions have been made in this regard, but we are looking at ideas. We have been looking at ideas for a while and we have engaged people to help us look at ideas but there is no—

Mr PICTON: Point of order: debate.

The SPEAKER: There is a point of order by the member for Kaurna. Minister, please be seated for one moment while we listen to this.

Mr PICTON: There has been a substantial preamble and the question was very specific with regard to whether a probity officer has been appointed.

The SPEAKER: The point of order is for debate. I have the point of order. Be seated. There was a significant amount of noise coming from members on my left. One member has had to depart the chamber. I will listen carefully to the minister's answer however.

The Hon. A. Piccolo interjecting:

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: Obviously the bench isn't that deep, Mr Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Let's get on with it.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: What we want to do is to deliver a more customer-focused public transport system. What we want to do is to deliver increased patronage, and the best way—

Mr Picton: Have you appointed a probity officer?

The SPEAKER: Order! We have the question. I know it was a late night last night, but it will all be over soon. The minister has the call.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: The best way for us to deliver that is to maintain control over our public transport network. The assurance that we can give to South Australians is that we, as a government, want to be the ones that drive better outcomes in our public transport system, which is why we need to maintain control of our public transport network. It is why the model that we delivered and announced last Friday, to start on 1 July, is to have a grouped-up South Australian public transport authority that still sits inside government because we want to maintain that control over the way services have been delivered. I can only reiterate again that no decisions have been made regarding this.

Mr Picton: Have you appointed a probity officer?

The SPEAKER: The member for Kaurna is warned for not only a first time but a second and final time.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: I think what is being postulated is a hypothetical state of affairs that doesn't exist because no decisions have been made, but we will not resile or walk away from the fact that we know that we need to change in order to get better, and we are willing to look at new ideas to do that, and we will continue to do that. It will be South Australian communities who will be the beneficiaries when we deliver the outcomes that we want to achieve as part of our South Australian Public Transport Authority.