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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-09-27 Daily Xml
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Keolis Downer

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley) (15:00): My question again is to the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. Did the minister receive any advice from the Department for Infrastructure and Transport advising him that Keolis Downer had failed to provide an adequate or acceptable level of service? If so, what was that advice?

The Hon. P.B. Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier is called to order. The minister has the call.

Mr Whetstone interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Chaffey! The minister has the call.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Energy and Mining) (15:01): I received advice from a higher source: the people of South Australia. The people of South Australia outrank the Department for Infrastructure and Transport. They outrank all of us. They are our bosses. We work for them, and they were unequivocal in their expectation that we return these privatised services to public hands. They demand that we do it. They don't just ask for it; they demand it. They were robbed when this was privatised out from under them without their permission.

No-one at the 2018 election thought that our trams and trains were at risk of privatisation. Why? Because both Jay Weatherill and the former Premier, the current member for Dunstan, promised at the 2018 election that there would be no privatisations. They were robbed; they were robbed. So the answer to my young friend's question—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —is that I answer to a higher authority, and that higher authority—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Colton!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —is the people of South Australia, who want this service back in public hands. However, if there is an alternative view—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Chaffey!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —the alternative view that this should remain in private hands and it should be privatised again after it is brought back into public hands, then say so. Have the courage of your convictions to get up and say that the private sector can do it better. Get up and tell people that you will be privatising our trains and trams again. Get up and say it! Have the courage to do it. Have the courage to lead. Vince, get up and lead!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

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