Train Services

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens) (14:29): My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. Can the minister confirm to the house that he just informed the house that the cost to the state for delivering the Adelaide Metro train services is $133.6 million per year but the Keolis Downer cost is $176 million per year?

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD (Gibson—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (14:30): I won't go back to all the details because I will leave the member to go and look over Hansard—

An honourable member: Why not?

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: —because I actually outlined it in my first answer and you didn't listen. I did outline very clearly that it was $133.6 million. That is excluding GST and excluding maintenance costs.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: Maintenance is 10 to 15.

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: When you factor those in and we work it out over the journey of the contract, bearing in mind that in our escalations it's a 12-year contract—I don't think the member for West Torrens would be thinking he is paying the same in the first year as he is in the last—they are the figures. At the end of the day, when I sit down with the Treasurer and he works through the contract as well and says, 'There's a $118 million saving for the South Australian taxpayer,' trust me, he's looked at it very closely. It's $118 million—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: —over the journey of the contract. That is what we are saving for the South Australian taxpayer, and they will be rewarded by that because we will be getting better services from the new service supplier and we will be able to reinvest that money into facilities that South Australia needs because it's very important that we build what matters.

The SPEAKER: Before I call the member for West Torrens, the member for West Torrens is warned and I remind all members that a questioner is entitled to be heard in silence and the minister answering the question is entitled to be heard in silence. This is not an opportunity to debate by interjection.