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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-05-09 Daily Xml
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Transport Infrastructure

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:11): Supplementary: how much of the $1.8 billion will be delivered before the next state election?

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL (Schubert—Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government, Minister for Planning) (14:11): The answer is that we are working with the federal government to find out that solution.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: Now, here we go.

The SPEAKER Order! You have asked the question. Order.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: We will let those opposite lap them up—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: —because I would like to remind them of a bit of recent history—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: —a little bit of recent history that maybe they don't want the rest of South Australia or the media gallery here listening to understand. In 2018-19, there was $350 million in that year, that when the Northern Connector project was first slated to be delivered there was $350 million worth of money profiled for the 2018-19 year. Now, $150 million—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: —$150 million—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: —of that money was brought forward to the 2015-16 and 2016-17 financial years, so exactly as happens on a normal basis, where projects get reprofiled according to the priorities of the state government, we are going to be doing over the course of the next number of months. This is what normally happens, and I would have thought—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER Order! The leader is warned.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: —that those who were in government for 16 years would have known that this is the way that it operates, but obviously not.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Playford is warned.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: Obviously there was a blanket amnesia on 16 March, where all of a sudden these guys just forgot exactly what happened for the past 16 years. It's like an episode of General Practice, where everybody just forgets what happens and has long-term amnesia. I'm hoping one day that maybe we on this side of the house can help those opposite to recover from their amnesia and actually remember what happens in normal government practice.

The difference between Monday and today is $1.8 billion worth of new money. Yes, we do admit and agree that this money needs to be reprofiled. But, when I went across to see minister Fletcher for the first time, we sat down and had a discussion. He said, 'Well Stephan, what are the priorities?' Can I tell you, it was pretty difficult to deliver some priorities because the cupboard was bare in terms of being able to put something that had a business case around it on the table. Interestingly, everything that was put on the table that day was funded: Pym Street to Regency, Gawler electrification and the Joy Baluch Bridge, as well as a commitment towards the next section of north-south. This is what we asked for and this is what we got. I consider 100 per cent success rate to be pretty good. Maybe 100 per cent isn't good enough for those opposite.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: I am working towards 110 per cent, but unfortunately the laws of mathematics and physics don't allow. So we will be working with the federal government over the ensuing months. In fact, we are already having discussions this afternoon to help—the discussion is around reprofiling this money.

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Leader!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: But it's on the table. It is there in black and white in the budget, and the federal government is committed to delivering these projects. Really, my job would have been made a whole lot easier if the former government had done their homework so that I could actually have helped put a stronger case about bringing these projects forward. The interesting thing is—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: —when I say, for instance, in regard to the Joy Baluch Bridge, 'We want to get it done next year,' they say, 'You still have stages 2, 3 and 4 of a business case to go.' So of course I can't go to them and say, 'This project is shovel ready,' but we will go to them on the projects that are more shovel ready and do the work, as we need to do, on the remaining projects.

The SPEAKER: Before I call the leader, I call the members for Badcoe and Port Adelaide to order. Leader.

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