Gawler Line Electrification

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:26): Supplementary question: when early next year? Will it be before or after the March state election?

The Hon. S.S. Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD (Gibson—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (14:26): Exactly. Again, I can't give any more detail to the member other than what we have said publicly, and that is that it will be ready early next year. I have outlined the factors we have been dealing with. We have been dealing with COVID—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: —and we have been dealing with signalling issues.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister has the call.

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: Again, what I can tell the member is we will be delivering this project, unlike those opposite who didn't deliver this project. The people in the north should be—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: —rightly angry with the Labor government because they promised it so many times—

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order, sir.

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: —and they were let down.

The SPEAKER: Minister—

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: What I can tell the people of the north—

The SPEAKER: Minister, please be seated.

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: —because they have worked through—

The SPEAKER: Minister, there is a point of order; please be seated.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Standing order 98, sir. Again, in replying to answers, ministers may not debate the question; they must answer the substance the question. The minister is now debating it. He has no responsibility to the house for any Labor Party policies. What we would like to know is: will the train line be open before or after the state election in March next year?

The SPEAKER: Minister, standing order 98 is one with which you and I have wrestled for some time. I draw your attention to the standing order.

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: There is no debate. The fact is Labor didn't deliver this project. You are right—the time line they set wasn't met. We have been very clear. I have been very clear with our time line: we will have it finished in the first part of next year. This is a project that Labor had on again, off again, on again, off again, and the people of the north have a right to be disappointed and upset with that and I feel for them. They have had to work through this project. Again, we have had to deal with COVID as we have gone through this project—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Playford! The member for Playford is called to order.

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: —and a lot of external circumstances that are difficult to deal—

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Point of order, Mr Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Minister, please be seated.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Again, standing order 98. The question was very specific: will it be open before or after the March state election? The minister continues to debate rather than answer specifically.

The SPEAKER: I think the minister is seeking to inform the house, as I heard it, that the project is likely to be delivered in the first half of next year. It's reasonably—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Early next year. It was reasonably precise. I will allow the minister to continue.

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: Thank you, sir. I refer them to my previous answer.