Bus Services

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:24): My question is to the Premier. Will the Premier now concede that his cuts to public transport are wrong and that he will backflip on the cuts to public transport?

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL (Schubert—Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government, Minister for Planning) (14:24): Apart from that question being wildly out of order, Mr Speaker, this government does not shy away from reform in South Australia. What we have on the opposite side of the chamber is known as the 'too-hard basket'. As the Minister for Environment and Water just outlined in relation to the Tea Tree Gully CWMS, and in relation to public transport, we don't put things in the too-hard basket.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order: this is not an example of compare and contrast: this is debate, sir.

The SPEAKER: 'Cuts' and 'backflip'—when you use language like that I'm going to allow a minister to explain the answer within the purview of the standing orders. I will listen carefully. The minister has the call.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: Thank you, Mr Speaker. The record speaks for itself: 10 years ago people were using more buses than they did when they left office. There were three separate failed attempts to get the Gawler line electrified.

Mr Brown: What are your backbench complaining about?

The SPEAKER: The member for Playford can leave for the remainder of question time under 137A.

The honourable member for Playford having withdrawn from the chamber:

The Hon. L.W.K. Bignell interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Mawson is on the board. The Minister for Transport has the call.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: There were three failed attempts to get the Gawler line electrified, people were running away from buses in droves and there were piecemeal changes to our bus network without once asking their customers or indeed undertaking wholesale analysis of how things could be done better. Why? Because they sat scared in the corner and put this in the too-hard basket. This government doesn't shy away from reform, even when it does get difficult. Why? Because we know that we need to improve the lives of South Australians, and that means undertaking reform to help improve the way the system operates. There are 220,000 South Australians who are now going to get access to a better service.

In this chamber, we obviously have quite a bit of back and forth but one thing we shouldn't stomach is hypocrisy. Back in 2017, there was a change to the standards of people having access to a bus stop. It got moved from 300 to 400 metres, being the target average, to 400 to 500 metres being the target average. It happened in 2017 with the release of the Operation Moving Traffic report under the now member for Lee. So I am not going to stand here and be lectured to by the people who actually changed the standard themselves.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: It's not okay for us to do it but under Operation Moving Traffic it was their clear intention to undertake the kinds of things that we're looking at now.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: Obviously, after having lost the last election mysteriously this was all removed from view; their mind changed, but in this house we're not going to stomach hypocrisy from those who thought it was okay when they were in government but now somehow magically think that it's not okay in opposition. We get on and we are delivering this reform.

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

The SPEAKER: As I said, when words like 'cuts' and 'backflip' are used in a question I am going to give the minister some latitude to explain the answer within the standing orders. I will be the decider if it breaches the standing orders. Minister, you do not have to monopolise the time as well. I'm just letting you know.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: This is just too much fun, Mr Speaker. Perhaps the most egregious example, Mr Speaker—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Wright!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: —is in your electorate—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: —where they promised—

The SPEAKER: Minister, be seated. Do not provoke the opposition.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: —the people of South Australia a Paradise park-and-ride, but because those people chose to vote for you instead of their candidate they punished the members of your electorate by denying them the park-and-ride that they deserved. This government again has the money on the table and is in the process of delivering this project right now—a key upgrade to a key part of our public transport network that is going to drive patronage. This is where South Australians can compare and contrast a government that says it is going to electrify the Gawler line, says it is going to put a park-and-ride at Paradise and then gets rid of that. This is a government that actually delivers what it says it will do and the South Australian—

The Hon. L.W.K. Bignell interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Mawson is warned.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister is wrapping up his answer.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: The difference is that when we say we're going to do a project, we actually put the money in the budget inside the forward estimates, the full $305 million, instead of just talking about it and putting the project off into the never-never, never to be seen again.

The SPEAKER: The minister's time has expired.

The Hon. L.W.K. Bignell interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Mawson, I can't have you shouting.

The Hon. L.W.K. Bignell: Well, don't sit me all the way over here then.

The SPEAKER: I'm not responsible for where you sit. The member for West Torrens has the call, and then we will switch to the member for Narungga.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for West Torrens, the Minister for Education, be quiet.