Keolis Downer

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens) (14:29): My question is to the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure. Who invited the minister to travel to Newcastle to meet with Keolis Downer?

An honourable member: It's not a trick question.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL (Schubert—Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government, Minister for Planning) (14:29): I'm actually just trying to remember. In conjunction with Tony Braxton-Smith—who, for those who don't know, was part of a team that operated the public transport network in New South Wales—we were looking at models of greater integration of services across the country, and the Newcastle example is one that came up in the course of our conversations.

There was an opportunity to go have a look at Newcastle and see trams, buses, on-demand buses and ferries all being run out of the same operations control centre, under the one operation, which is quite extensive and novel. In terms of operating model innovation, it sits at the forefront across the country of how that is able to be operated. So, from memory, I think it was TB-S who was the first one who suggested it. He accompanied me across to Newcastle to have a look and, in fact, was able to help provide some really good information because he was there as part of the process of setting up the way that the Newcastle system operates.

It has been a huge success, and it had some real lessons for us in terms of our on-demand bus trial here in South Australia. Members may remember that we have put out a tender for up to $1 million for a private sector operator to come to us with ideas about how we can use this on-demand process, essentially a system by which people can book, exactly like an Uber, to get a bus to pick them up from near their house and drop them at another point. Essentially, that on-demand service in Newcastle works as a point-to-point and a point-to-hub operation.

I think it is pretty clear that the point-to-hub aspect of that service area is really a good way, and an innovative way, for them to be able to channel people to a high-frequency bus line that gets them into the centre of Newcastle extremely efficiently and can connect them from closer to their house to closer to where they want to go. I think it was a great trip and very much worth my while. There was a lot of learning for South Australia in visiting Newcastle.

What's interesting is that Keolis Downer aren't some bogeyman from the other side of the world: they operate our bus network currently. The logical inconsistency here is that it is okay to allow them to run buses in South Australia, but it is not okay to talk to them about other ways in which we could innovate our network. It is okay to sign over to them contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars, but it is not okay to talk to them about how they can improve services for South Australians. This is a company that operates networks right across the globe and massively in Europe, in places that a lot of people would consider have superior public transport services to us here in Adelaide.

Mr Hughes: Not according to commuters in Newcastle.

The SPEAKER: The member for Giles is warned for a second and final time.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: Again, this idea that we should not be availing ourselves of examples across the globe and across the country is endemic of a style of government that saw us fight with the rest of the country, including the federal government. It saw us stick our head in the sand and not deal with the problems that South Australia has and also subdued the natural confidence that exists in South Australians. It is why, having had the burden of the Labor government lifted from South Australians' shoulders, that underlying confidence, which is now starting to see jobs growth, which is now starting to see—

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: There is a point of order, minister.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: —record levels of capital investment, which is now starting to see—

The SPEAKER: Minister, sit down.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: He is now defying your ruling, sir.

The SPEAKER: No, he isn't. He has sat down.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: It's debate.

The SPEAKER: Debate. I uphold the point of order. Is the minister finished?

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: Sure thing.