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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-06-09 Daily Xml
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Passenger Transport (Transit Barring Orders) Amendment Bill

Introduction and First Reading

Mr ODENWALDER (Elizabeth) (11:23): Obtained leave and introduced a bill for an act to amend the Passenger Transport Act 1994. Read a first time.

Second Reading

Mr ODENWALDER (Elizabeth) (11:23): I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

My dad was a bus driver for most of his working life. In London, he drove a bus and, until the service was privatised in 1996 or 1997, he was a bus driver for the State Transport Authority here in Adelaide. He did not talk about his work much, he did not enjoy his work very much—I do not think he will mind me saying that—and his stories were always couched in a certain black humour, but it was clear from those stories that it is a largely unrecognised, dangerous profession. These workers are often alone and often, in suburban terms, in quite isolated places at all hours of the day and night.

Even in those days, when I understand it was a well-run state enterprise, it was a dangerous profession, but it clearly has become more dangerous, there is no doubt about it. Anecdotally at least, bus drivers are starting to fear danger so much and to become so frustrated with the system that they are sometimes not reporting it. The previous government did, of course, make moves to protect bus drivers, including enhancing barring orders legislation and creating a class of prescribed worker that offered drivers and other workers an extra layer of legislative protection from assaults.

Shortly before the COVID period, and therefore before some of the survey results that I will discuss in a minute were collated, I was invited along with the leader and the member for West Torrens to a forum hosted by the Transport Workers' Union. It was attended not only by politicians and union officials; it was attended by actual bus drivers, by representatives of the bus operators and also by senior representatives of the then transit police. Many issues were raised and many issues about how our public transport system could operate more safely for bus drivers were canvassed, and this bill gives expression to just one aspect of that discussion.

Shortly after that discussion, of course, COVID hit. During that time, during what we refer to as that early lockdown period, the union did a lot of work consulting with their members. It is worth reflecting on the detail of these results because they show that, certainly in the perception of the people at the coalface, violence—

The SPEAKER: I just invite the member for Elizabeth to seek leave to continue his remarks. Does the member for Elizabeth wish to seek leave?

Mr ODENWALDER: Hang on, I have four minutes, haven't I? What is going on?

The SPEAKER: No.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: I am about to interrupt you, so do you want to seek leave to continue your remarks or finish?

Mr Picton: On what nature are you interrupting?

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: Just wait and see.

The SPEAKER: It is a matter for the member for Elizabeth. The Deputy Premier seeks the call. Does the member for Elizabeth wish to seek leave to continue his remarks?

Mr PICTON: Point of order, Mr Speaker: why is the member for Elizabeth being asked to seek leave to continue his remarks when there is still time remaining for a presumption of—we do not know what the member for Bragg is getting up to say. Is she moving a motion? Is she raising a point of order? You seem to understand, but the parliament does not understand what is happening.

The SPEAKER: Purely a matter of convenience. If the member for Elizabeth wishes to continue his remarks in the time available, he is welcome to do so. The member for Elizabeth has the call.

Mr ODENWALDER: I cannot imagine why I would not, sir, but thanks for that, Vickie. You can keep going.

The SPEAKER: Does the member for Elizabeth seek leave?

Mr ODENWALDER: Sorry, the Attorney stood. I assumed she was seeking the call.

The SPEAKER: No, the member for Elizabeth has the call.

Mr ODENWALDER: What are you standing for?

The SPEAKER: Does the Deputy Premier rise on a point of order?

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: I rise to move a motion.

The SPEAKER: It is out of order. There will be an opportunity to do so but the member for Elizabeth has the call. Unless the member for Elizabeth chooses to seek leave, the member for Elizabeth is on his feet and the member for Elizabeth has the call.

Mr ODENWALDER: The work I am referring to by the Transport Workers' Union occurred in one snapshot of time, that is, April to July 2020. Bear in mind, this was a four-month period of time when public transport use was at record lows in this state due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Transport Workers' Union collated a whole lot of data during this period, both qualitative and quantitative, which illustrated the dangers that even in a period of low patronage, or perhaps exacerbated by that period, bus drivers are forced to endure.

On 2 April 2020, a bus driver at Hackham told a passenger to stop smoking on the bus. The passenger verbally abused the driver, stole his sunglasses and the driver suffered scratches to his face as a result of the incident. On 9 April 2020, a bus driver on Torrens Road, Fitzroy, was verbally abused by a passenger and had the contents of a drink bottle poured over him. On 10 April 2020, a bus driver at the Flinders Medical Centre was assaulted by a passenger wearing a face mask who threw the contents of a bottle of alcohol at the driver. On 28 May 2020—I seek leave to continue—

The SPEAKER: There is no need.

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