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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2024-02-08 Daily Xml
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Question Time

Truro Freight Route Project

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS (Black—Leader of the Opposition) (14:01): My question is to the Premier. Is the government taking any action to deliver the Truro freight route and get trucks off Portrush Road? Sir, with your leave and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: On 16 November 2023, the federal government cut $400 million of funding to five key projects in South Australia, including $161.6 million for the Truro freight route.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:01): Yes, I was very disappointed when the commonwealth government made that cut. I remember having this debate on ABC radio, when the Liberal Party spokesperson on this matter, Mr Tony Pasin, was on. I said to him that the 80:20 funding model was in place by the previous Morrison government and honoured by the Malinauskas government. I called on him to reinstate that 80 per cent funding if they were elected and he refused—he refused. I see members opposite are now asking that we make it 50:50. It was an 80:20 funding split—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —an 80:20 funding split. The question here is—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Hartley! Member for Flinders! The minister has the call. Minister.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Don't get dragged again—don’t get dragged again. I made it very clear to Mr Pasin that he could make a commitment here and now that a—

The Hon. J.A.W. Gardner: What about your commitments and your Labor friends?

The SPEAKER: The member for Morialta is warned.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: He could make a commitment here and now to fund the Truro bypass—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Morialta!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —and they refused.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: The Liberal Party refused to back this project.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Morialta!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: As I said—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister has the call.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: As I said, we continue to do the work and advocate for this important project. It is an important project. It should be done. Unlike members opposite, I am not advocating that we pay for all of it—or are they? Okay, right, here we go. Quiet.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Silence—silence.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Other than interjections, silence.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.A.W. Gardner interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Morialta!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Morialta is warned. The member for Schubert is warned. The member for Hartley is warned, and I see the member for Heysen interjecting. Minister.

The Hon. J.A.W. Gardner interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Morialta is on three warnings. One anticipates he would wish to engage with the standing orders.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: They seem very excited, sir. I am very keen for the Truro bypass to proceed. It's a good project and it is a very important project. I do note that there have been alternative plans about freight diversions talked about previously. There was one called GlobeLink.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Too soon?

The SPEAKER: Member for West Torrens! Minister, be seated.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Florey! Member for Chaffey! Order! The member for Morialta on a point of order.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Standing order 98: goes to debate. The minister was asked about Truro, Portrush Road and his federal Labor mates' withdrawal of funding for this important project.

The SPEAKER: That may be. It is possible for the minister to compare and contrast, including in relation to other projects. I will listen carefully.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: There are two points I want to make. The first is that, when the Truro bypass was cancelled by the commonwealth, we asked the current federal opposition to reinstate that funding. They said no.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Morialta! Minister, please be seated.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Elder! Member for Morialta, it is so early in the proceedings today, but you are on three warnings.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I think the people who live along Portrush Road have seen these promises from members opposite before with GlobeLink. Remember that they were going to move an entire freight line around the back of the hills. They were going to build a 24-hour airport at Murray Bridge.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Remember those promises? What were they? Nothing but hot air.

The SPEAKER: Minister, there is a point of order.

Mr Whetstone interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Chaffey, your colleague the member for Morialta is seeking to raise a point of order with me.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Standing order 98: compare and contrast is one thing, but the minister's rhetorical flourishes are the very definition of debate, which is against standing orders.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! There is some merit in the matters that the member for Morialta seeks to raise with me. I will listen carefully. I will bring the minister to the question.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: We continue to do the work on Truro because we think it is an important project. We want Canberra to reinvest in Truro. We have called on them to do this. We want them. As I said publicly, I love all my children equally and Truro is one of those children that I believe deserves to prosper and grow. It is an important project for South Australia. It is an important project and it should be funded and of course I am in negotiations with Catherine King—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —but I note the Coalition opposition have already ruled it out.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Members to my left and right! GlobeLink was one of my favourite children.

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