Election Commitments

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL (Mawson) (14:35): My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. Can the minister inform the house how the state government's election commitments in his portfolios are reducing cost-of-living pressures for South Australians?

An honourable member: Good question!

The SPEAKER: Order! And there is a point of order.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Standing order 97: the application of the firm rule that you are applying to the parliament should rule that out of order.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! It's not so much a firm rule as the standing orders and the practice for quite some time. I have offered guidance over the last several question times in an effort to assist members. Most members, I understand, have received that advice. However, I am going to give the member the opportunity to recast the question.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Can the minister inform the house how the state government's election commitments may be affecting living pressures on South Australians?

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: There is a point of order from the member for Morialta.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: The question as framed assumes that the state government's election commitments are having an effect of any nature on cost of living, and that is an inclusion of a suggested argument.

The SPEAKER: It may be. It may be, but that is a very close reading of the question. I'm going to permit the question.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:37): In opposition, we took to the state election two commitments from the transport portfolio that sought to address cost-of-living pressures. Specifically, what I am talking about are the outer areas registration concession and free public transport for Seniors Card holders—two very important measures. In 2020, members opposite decided to cut the outer areas concession with one fell swoop of the pen. The member for Dunstan, who is not here today—

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for West Torrens will be seated. I will hear the—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Morphett, your colleague is seeking to raise a point of order. I will hear it under 134.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Two points of order: first, in relation to the reference to a member's presence or otherwise in the immediate chamber and, secondly, in his commentary on decisions taken or not taken several years ago under the previous government—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: —that Speakers rule those out of order as debate.

The SPEAKER: I'm going to uphold the first limb that was raised with me in reference to the presence or otherwise of a member in the chamber.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Sir, I apologise for mentioning that the member for Dunstan is not in the chamber again.

The SPEAKER: The member for West Torrens knows better.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Morialta, I have already addressed the point with the member.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: It's a new point of order: in the member for West Torrens's response to your ruling, he defied your ruling and is obstructing the house.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I gave the member for West Torrens some guidance. The minister has the call.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: In 2020, the outer areas concession was changed in one fell swoop, and that was a consequence of raising registration costs by 50 per cent in regional areas, including Kangaroo Island, where they had just faced decimating bushfires. It was a cruel and unnecessary decision that made no sense morally or politically.

It came at a time when South Australians were facing high cost-of-living pressures. These pressures have remained but thankfully the Treasurer in the most recent budget, through the guidance of the Premier, reinstated the concession on 1 July 2022, in no small part due to the advocacy and hard work of the member for Mawson, who was tireless in his advocacy for his constituency who saw that cruel cut occur in 2020.

Since then, we have seen a huge uptake with over 9,000 vehicles registered for this relief. This equates to $600,000 saved by people in Kangaroo Island, Coober Pedy, Roxby Downs and other remote areas.

This initiative is also supporting local small businesses. I was informed by the member for Mawson, a great advocate for regional South Australia, that a trucking company in his electorate would save up to $70,000 per year on registration costs. I thank the member for Mawson for his continued advocacy on this issue since 2020. He has been a tireless and lone voice, crying out for regional South Australia, when others were missing in action. He made sure that this government reversed those cuts, and regional South Australia thanks him.

Regarding our commitment to make public transport free for Seniors Card holders at all times, a commitment that we delivered as promised on 1 July, we have seen an astonishing uptake in peak trips.

Mr Tarzia interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Sorry?

Mr Tarzia interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: You should ask.

The SPEAKER: The minister won't respond to interjections. The minister has the call.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Since July, around 650,000 trips have been undertaken by Seniors Card holders in morning and afternoon peak. For comparison, in June, we saw about 80,000 Seniors Card holders take peak trips, each trip costing them between $2 and $3 depending on whether they had a Metrocard or opted to pay a paper ticket price.

In October, we saw around 160,000 Seniors Card holders take up peak trips at no cost. Initial estimates by my department are that this has saved seniors between $1.3 million to $1.9 million so far—money that is back in their pockets. Seniors have talked with their feet in support of this initiative, an initiative that complemented a suite of other initiatives rolled out by the state government in other portfolios by my ministerial colleagues who actually care about cost-of-living pressures faced by South Australians.

So I again thank the member for Mawson for his tireless advocacy on behalf of the island and on behalf of other regional communities—and, indeed, the member for Stuart, which is the reason why he won every single polling booth in Port Augusta and Port Pirie. That was a remarkable event, taking on the then Deputy Premier who is now no longer a member of this house.