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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-06-17 Daily Xml
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TRAMLINE EXTENSION

Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (15:09): We do know what 97 per cent of people thought about the Minister for Transport. My question is to the Minister for Transport. Has the minister or his department investigated the impact on traffic flow, waiting times and ring route access at the Port Road/Hindmarsh Bridge intersection resulting from the construction of a tramline, and what were the findings of those investigations?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for MacKillop will come to order.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON (Elder—Minister for Transport, Minister for Infrastructure, Minister for Energy) (15:09): There is no doubt that we are going to hear a lot of criticisms, but the criticisms lack a lot of consistency, don't they? I heard the Leader of the Opposition on the very same subject; he said, 'It's too little too late. It cost too much. It was all my idea anyway, and it's not a good idea.' He said, 'It's my budget and I will whinge if I want to.' He also said, 'It was all my idea and it is a terrible idea.' What we will hear from the opposition is some way of undermining this idea and some way of complaining because that is what they are. They are whingers in furious pursuit of a complaint.

Ms CHAPMAN: I rise on a point of order, Mr Speaker. The question was not about a complaint: it was a simple question about whether an investigation had been done. The minister is clearly debating.

The SPEAKER: Order! I uphold the point of order. The minister must not debate.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I make the point that there will be challenges in setting out to do the most important things that have ever been done in the public transport system in South Australia. There are challenges.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: A lot of work has to be done to maximise the return and to get the best design. We will have early contracts.

Mr Williams interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, the member for MacKillop!

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Apparently, members opposite have been working on this for six years. Unfortunately for them, I have their election policy in front of me. I am sure if I go to it they will take a point of order that it is not relevant. I can go to their election policy from 2006. Would members like me to do that? Would members opposite like me to look at it? Apparently, it was all your idea.

There will be a lot of challenges. It is difficult. I note already that the opposition has come out and opposed the tram extension to the Entertainment Centre—an extension to an 800-car park—which gives us enormous potential to take those people out of the city. Members opposite are wrong again. I say to them: keep asking questions and we will provide details and briefings. I hope members opposite take the briefings when they are offered, because my experience is that members opposite much prefer to stay in ignorance so that they can ask ignorant questions. We will provide briefings.

The Premier has been behind this thing from that first glorious day in 2002. It will reshape the city of Adelaide and give it its shape for decades to come. They are some of the most important things we have done. If there are little difficulties along the way which the opposition wants to pick on or undermine we will take that, because this is such an important thing.

Hopefully, I will be out there somewhere around 2010 opening the tram extension with the Premier—in line with the festival or something like that would be good. I will be there and I will be reminding people, no matter who the leader of the opposition is then, of the position of the opposition and our position—because it will be a success.

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