Bus Services

The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light) (15:39): Today, I wish to talk about the impact the bus cuts will have on the people in my electorate, not only the people but also small businesses, which will be affected by the bus cuts because people will not be able to travel throughout the electorate to access these businesses and services.

Before I get to some examples provided by people in my community about the proposed bus cuts as we know them—and I say 'as we know them' because it is not very clear from the website how the services will impact at this point in time—I want to talk about these cuts to bus services, as we understand them today, and the difference between this Marshall Liberal government and the opposition Labor Party, because these cuts go to the heart of what the role of government is in our society.

They go to the heart of the relationship between government and the community, and they also go to the heart of what the role of government is in supporting our community. It is interesting to note that the language used by the Minister for Transport in justifying these cuts is that of corporate management, corporate business, not the language one would use about a community service, a service that is important for people in our communities. I will elaborate because I think it is a very important point.

As I said, it illustrates the big difference between this government and the opposition Labor Party and the relationship it has with its community. The minister refers to efficiency and how the cuts will improve efficiency, and by efficiency he means that it will cost less. It will cost less to provide services, but that is achieved also by reducing services. Contrast that with an effective bus service. An effective bus service talks about an element of efficiency but does it do the job it is required to do? Does the public bus system support people in our community? Does it meet the needs of individual people in our community?

So it is efficiency versus effectiveness. I support effectiveness because it talks about the whole community and what we need to do for our community. Then the minister talks about market forces. He went on and on about the importance of market forces, and he is quite right to talk about market forces. It is the difference between market forces and need in our community. The reality is that market forces do not always deliver on need. They do not deliver on need. Market failure has been shown time and again throughout history, throughout all societies.

What these cuts do not address are the needs of our community, and by that I mean the needs of people with a disability. The minister says, 'Well, what's an extra few hundred metres if you have to walk to the bus stop?' If you have a disability, or you are infirm, elderly or whatever, the 200 metres or 300 metres more to walk to a bus stop means the difference between accessing a public transport system or not. That is the difference. Market forces are about those who can pay without addressing those who need it the most, and that is the difference. I support addressing the issue of needs in our community.

Then the minister talks about customers. 'Customers' is an interesting concept—when you reduce the value of citizenship or citizenry to just customers. In other words, customers pay, and you only deliver to customers who pay. That is a market force. That is market business language. It is the difference between that and what citizens require in our community to live a dignified life. What is it our citizens and our society need to be treated with dignity?

It is not about being treated as a customer. It is about being treated as a citizen and the inherent rights that come with citizenship in our community. It is about ensuring that our citizens—and I use that word broadly to distinguish citizens from customers—have the right to access services, and it is part of a civil society. When I say citizens, I also include people who are Australian residents, etc. The difference in the language is very important. It talks about citizenship; it talks about needs.

That is very important, because the things the minister talks about—efficiency, market forces and customers—are all about profit, making the system cost less so that the new private operator of the buses can make profits, compared to what I believe: that the services should be there for people. We need to look after the people in our community. What these cuts do is undermine the needs of the people in our community.