Public Transport Privatisation

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:20): My question is to the Premier. Can the Premier rule out that a privatised public transport rail network will be foreign owned?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:21): We have made it very clear that we are not selling the tracks. We are not selling the trains or the trams or the stations. We are outsourcing the operation to make sure that we can achieve best practice for commuters and taxpayers in South Australia. I want to take this opportunity to commend the—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —Minister for Planning, Transport and Infrastructure in South Australia. He has a vision for public—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —transport in South Australia that is much higher than was achieved over the previous 16 years of Labor, which talked a lot about public transport. They talked a lot about public transport.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: They were going to electrify the Outer Harbor line—it didn't happen.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: They were going to electrify the Grange line—it didn't happen. They went halfway to Gawler—we had to finish the job. So we are not going to take any lectures from those opposite regarding public transport. We now have a Public Transport Authority in South Australia. I think the people who are on it will be able to look after—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Leader! Members on my left!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —and make sure that we enhance services for the people of our state.

The SPEAKER: Premier, be seated for one moment. Member for Light, you can leave for half an hour under 137A for interjecting continually.

The honourable member for Light having withdrawn from the chamber:

The SPEAKER: The Premier has the call.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: As I was saying, sir, we now have the Public Transport Authority set up. We are investing hundreds of millions of dollars into the infrastructure for our public transport system in South Australia. Most recently—

Ms Cook interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Hurtle Vale is warned.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Most recently, in a particularly tough budget, where there were increases to fares and fines and other government charges, we kept the charge increase for public transport to a minimum: 2 per cent and below. That is because—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —we believe

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Leader!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —in enhanced services for public transport in South Australia. There is lots of talk from those opposite, sir. Finally, you are getting some action from those on this side of the house, and we really do—

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order: the question was about whether the outsourced service would be owned by a foreign entity. The Premier is not answering the question; he is debating, sir.

The SPEAKER: The point of order is for debate. In fairness to the Premier, there is a cacophony of noise that continues to come from my left. Many members have already been ejected and there will be more to follow if this sort of noise continues. Member for West Torrens, I'm really struggling to hear the Premier's answer amongst all this noise, but I will listen assiduously to ensure that he sticks to the substance of the question. Premier.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Thank you very much. It was an interesting question, sir—a question about private ownership or foreign ownership of assets in South Australia.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I would like to hear the answer.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: That's an incredible question to ask and maybe the Leader of the Opposition could lean over to his good friend and economic adviser and mentor the member for West Torrens to hear all about how privatisation works. There was plenty of privatisation under the prince of privatisation. Have a look what he did to the forests. Were they owned by a foreign entity? I think maybe they were. There were plenty of other capabilities sent overseas by the former government, so we are not going to be lectured by them. The reality is, sir—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —that we will retain ownership. Taxpayers will retain ownership of the trains and the trams and the tracks and the stations—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —and the reality is that we are investing to grow our public transport capability based on best practice.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: An analysis has been done of best practice in public transport globally. We have taken those lessons and we are going to apply them here in South Australia. What we are doing—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —is the work that those left on the shelf for the past 16 years.

The SPEAKER: The member for Badcoe is called to order and warned.