❓ The Minister for Planning and Infrastructure responds to a question regarding the government's progress in reducing public transport costs for students, highlighting the new 50c fare and associated mutual obligation for students to give up seats to adults and those with special needs.
AnsweredQoN 585Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I thank the minister for her unswerving commitment to public transport. Will the minister advise the house of the government’s progress in implementing one of our linchpin election commitments to lessen the burden on families by reducing the cost of public transport for students? Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of this question and for the question. Many families in the member’s electorate are particularly pleased with this development. Today the Treasurer and the Minister for State Development referred to the success of the Western Australian economy. The government is very committed to making sure that the benefit of that great economic growth goes back into the community, particularly to families that most need it. As we know, families, particularly those with teenage children, face the most economic pressures. Many families must pay substantial fares for their children to travel to and from high school in particular. For example, in the Swan Hills electorate, children travelling from Upper Swan to Governor Stirling Senior High School pay a three-zone fare. Under the government’s brilliant new 50c fare, which started yesterday, the families of children travelling that distance to school will save more than $800 a year. Two families from my electorate of Armadale send children to Perth Modern High School to study under music scholarships, and they will receive a benefit of more than $1 000 a year. That is a great way of giving money back to the community in light of the success of the Western Australian economy and how hard the community is working to take advantage of these wonderful economic opportunities. There is another aspect to this issue. At the same time as the government made this announcement, it announced the concept of mutual obligation that is attached to this 50c ticket; namely, that students will be required to relinquish their seats for adults and persons with special needs. I was somewhat amused to hear on the radio the member for Darling Range ranting about the fact that he could not believe how silent the government had been on its survey. I issued this survey and I was interviewed on radio about it. I spoke to three television stations and I released a media statement on it. I do not know whether the member for Darling Range’s smoke alarm was ringing so loudly that he could not hear it, but I can assure him that the government has been anything but silent about it. The government has undertaken an analysis of the community’s expectations. It is quite clear that there is an expectation that school students travelling on these special fares should be required to stand. However, it is also quite clear that the people surveyed were far more equivocal about the concept of fining school students for not standing. In that regard we saw a different response. Around 54 per cent across the board said that they would support a $50 fine, but in some areas, for example on the Clarkson line, the majority of people actually opposed it. We all know that it is very difficult to enforce these fines against school students, who would ultimately be responsible for paying them. We therefore announced that we wanted to take a more sensible approach and that we would start with an education campaign informing students of their mutual obligation. When the SmartRider ticket comes in, we will have the capacity to implement a suspension system if it becomes necessary. If we find that students are not honouring the mutual obligation, we will regulate, as we said we would, to establish a penalty. However, the penalty will not be a fine; it will be more in the direction of a suspension of availability of the special ticket. That is a much more sensible and reasonable way of approaching this matter.
Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question and for the question. Many families in the member’s electorate are particularly pleased with this development. Today the Treasurer and the Minister for State Development referred to the success of the Western Australian economy. The government is very committed to making sure that the benefit of that great economic growth goes back into the community, particularly to families that most need it. As we know, families, particularly those with teenage children, face the most economic pressures. Many families must pay substantial fares for their children to travel to and from high school in particular. For example, in the Swan Hills electorate, children travelling from Upper Swan to Governor Stirling Senior High School pay a three-zone fare. Under the government’s brilliant new 50c fare, which started yesterday, the families of children travelling that distance to school will save more than $800 a year. Two families from my electorate of Armadale send children to Perth Modern High School to study under music scholarships, and they will receive a benefit of more than $1 000 a year. That is a great way of giving money back to the community in light of the success of the Western Australian economy and how hard the community is working to take advantage of these wonderful economic opportunities. There is another aspect to this issue. At the same time as the government made this announcement, it announced the concept of mutual obligation that is attached to this 50c ticket; namely, that students will be required to relinquish their seats for adults and persons with special needs. I was somewhat amused to hear on the radio the member for Darling Range ranting about the fact that he could not believe how silent the government had been on its survey. I issued this survey and I was interviewed on radio about it. I spoke to three television stations and I released a media statement on it. I do not know whether the member for Darling Range’s smoke alarm was ringing so loudly that he could not hear it, but I can assure him that the government has been anything but silent about it. The government has undertaken an analysis of the community’s expectations. It is quite clear that there is an expectation that school students travelling on these special fares should be required to stand. However, it is also quite clear that the people surveyed were far more equivocal about the concept of fining school students for not standing. In that regard we saw a different response. Around 54 per cent across the board said that they would support a $50 fine, but in some areas, for example on the Clarkson line, the majority of people actually opposed it. We all know that it is very difficult to enforce these fines against school students, who would ultimately be responsible for paying them. We therefore announced that we wanted to take a more sensible approach and that we would start with an education campaign informing students of their mutual obligation. When the SmartRider ticket comes in, we will have the capacity to implement a suspension system if it becomes necessary. If we find that students are not honouring the mutual obligation, we will regulate, as we said we would, to establish a penalty. However, the penalty will not be a fine; it will be more in the direction of a suspension of availability of the special ticket. That is a much more sensible and reasonable way of approaching this matter.
I thank the member for some notice of this question and for the question. Many families in the member’s electorate are particularly pleased with this development. Today the Treasurer and the Minister for State Development referred to the success of the Western Australian economy. The government is very committed to making sure that the benefit of that great economic growth goes back into the community, particularly to families that most need it. As we know, families, particularly those with teenage children, face the most economic pressures. Many families must pay substantial fares for their children to travel to and from high school in particular. For example, in the Swan Hills electorate, children travelling from Upper Swan to Governor Stirling Senior High School pay a three-zone fare. Under the government’s brilliant new 50c fare, which started yesterday, the families of children travelling that distance to school will save more than $800 a year. Two families from my electorate of Armadale send children to Perth Modern High School to study under music scholarships, and they will receive a benefit of more than $1 000 a year. That is a great way of giving money back to the community in light of the success of the Western Australian economy and how hard the community is working to take advantage of these wonderful economic opportunities. There is another aspect to this issue. At the same time as the government made this announcement, it announced the concept of mutual obligation that is attached to this 50c ticket; namely, that students will be required to relinquish their seats for adults and persons with special needs. I was somewhat amused to hear on the radio the member for Darling Range ranting about the fact that he could not believe how silent the government had been on its survey. I issued this survey and I was interviewed on radio about it. I spoke to three television stations and I released a media statement on it. I do not know whether the member for Darling Range’s smoke alarm was ringing so loudly that he could not hear it, but I can assure him that the government has been anything but silent about it. The government has undertaken an analysis of the community’s expectations. It is quite clear that there is an expectation that school students travelling on these special fares should be required to stand. However, it is also quite clear that the people surveyed were far more equivocal about the concept of fining school students for not standing. In that regard we saw a different response. Around 54 per cent across the board said that they would support a $50 fine, but in some areas, for example on the Clarkson line, the majority of people actually opposed it. We all know that it is very difficult to enforce these fines against school students, who would ultimately be responsible for paying them. We therefore announced that we wanted to take a more sensible approach and that we would start with an education campaign informing students of their mutual obligation. When the SmartRider ticket comes in, we will have the capacity to implement a suspension system if it becomes necessary. If we find that students are not honouring the mutual obligation, we will regulate, as we said we would, to establish a penalty. However, the penalty will not be a fine; it will be more in the direction of a suspension of availability of the special ticket. That is a much more sensible and reasonable way of approaching this matter.
There is another aspect to this issue. At the same time as the government made this announcement, it announced the concept of mutual obligation that is attached to this 50c ticket; namely, that students will be required to relinquish their seats for adults and persons with special needs. I was somewhat amused to hear on the radio the member for Darling Range ranting about the fact that he could not believe how silent the government had been on its survey. I issued this survey and I was interviewed on radio about it. I spoke to three television stations and I released a media statement on it. I do not know whether the member for Darling Range’s smoke alarm was ringing so loudly that he could not hear it, but I can assure him that the government has been anything but silent about it. The government has undertaken an analysis of the community’s expectations. It is quite clear that there is an expectation that school students travelling on these special fares should be required to stand. However, it is also quite clear that the people surveyed were far more equivocal about the concept of fining school students for not standing. In that regard we saw a different response. Around 54 per cent across the board said that they would support a $50 fine, but in some areas, for example on the Clarkson line, the majority of people actually opposed it. We all know that it is very difficult to enforce these fines against school students, who would ultimately be responsible for paying them. We therefore announced that we wanted to take a more sensible approach and that we would start with an education campaign informing students of their mutual obligation. When the SmartRider ticket comes in, we will have the capacity to implement a suspension system if it becomes necessary. If we find that students are not honouring the mutual obligation, we will regulate, as we said we would, to establish a penalty. However, the penalty will not be a fine; it will be more in the direction of a suspension of availability of the special ticket. That is a much more sensible and reasonable way of approaching this matter.
Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question and for the question. Many families in the member’s electorate are particularly pleased with this development. Today the Treasurer and the Minister for State Development referred to the success of the Western Australian economy. The government is very committed to making sure that the benefit of that great economic growth goes back into the community, particularly to families that most need it. As we know, families, particularly those with teenage children, face the most economic pressures. Many families must pay substantial fares for their children to travel to and from high school in particular. For example, in the Swan Hills electorate, children travelling from Upper Swan to Governor Stirling Senior High School pay a three-zone fare. Under the government’s brilliant new 50c fare, which started yesterday, the families of children travelling that distance to school will save more than $800 a year. Two families from my electorate of Armadale send children to Perth Modern High School to study under music scholarships, and they will receive a benefit of more than $1 000 a year. That is a great way of giving money back to the community in light of the success of the Western Australian economy and how hard the community is working to take advantage of these wonderful economic opportunities. There is another aspect to this issue. At the same time as the government made this announcement, it announced the concept of mutual obligation that is attached to this 50c ticket; namely, that students will be required to relinquish their seats for adults and persons with special needs. I was somewhat amused to hear on the radio the member for Darling Range ranting about the fact that he could not believe how silent the government had been on its survey. I issued this survey and I was interviewed on radio about it. I spoke to three television stations and I released a media statement on it. I do not know whether the member for Darling Range’s smoke alarm was ringing so loudly that he could not hear it, but I can assure him that the government has been anything but silent about it. The government has undertaken an analysis of the community’s expectations. It is quite clear that there is an expectation that school students travelling on these special fares should be required to stand. However, it is also quite clear that the people surveyed were far more equivocal about the concept of fining school students for not standing. In that regard we saw a different response. Around 54 per cent across the board said that they would support a $50 fine, but in some areas, for example on the Clarkson line, the majority of people actually opposed it. We all know that it is very difficult to enforce these fines against school students, who would ultimately be responsible for paying them. We therefore announced that we wanted to take a more sensible approach and that we would start with an education campaign informing students of their mutual obligation. When the SmartRider ticket comes in, we will have the capacity to implement a suspension system if it becomes necessary. If we find that students are not honouring the mutual obligation, we will regulate, as we said we would, to establish a penalty. However, the penalty will not be a fine; it will be more in the direction of a suspension of availability of the special ticket. That is a much more sensible and reasonable way of approaching this matter.
I thank the member for some notice of this question and for the question. Many families in the member’s electorate are particularly pleased with this development. Today the Treasurer and the Minister for State Development referred to the success of the Western Australian economy. The government is very committed to making sure that the benefit of that great economic growth goes back into the community, particularly to families that most need it. As we know, families, particularly those with teenage children, face the most economic pressures. Many families must pay substantial fares for their children to travel to and from high school in particular. For example, in the Swan Hills electorate, children travelling from Upper Swan to Governor Stirling Senior High School pay a three-zone fare. Under the government’s brilliant new 50c fare, which started yesterday, the families of children travelling that distance to school will save more than $800 a year. Two families from my electorate of Armadale send children to Perth Modern High School to study under music scholarships, and they will receive a benefit of more than $1 000 a year. That is a great way of giving money back to the community in light of the success of the Western Australian economy and how hard the community is working to take advantage of these wonderful economic opportunities. There is another aspect to this issue. At the same time as the government made this announcement, it announced the concept of mutual obligation that is attached to this 50c ticket; namely, that students will be required to relinquish their seats for adults and persons with special needs. I was somewhat amused to hear on the radio the member for Darling Range ranting about the fact that he could not believe how silent the government had been on its survey. I issued this survey and I was interviewed on radio about it. I spoke to three television stations and I released a media statement on it. I do not know whether the member for Darling Range’s smoke alarm was ringing so loudly that he could not hear it, but I can assure him that the government has been anything but silent about it. The government has undertaken an analysis of the community’s expectations. It is quite clear that there is an expectation that school students travelling on these special fares should be required to stand. However, it is also quite clear that the people surveyed were far more equivocal about the concept of fining school students for not standing. In that regard we saw a different response. Around 54 per cent across the board said that they would support a $50 fine, but in some areas, for example on the Clarkson line, the majority of people actually opposed it. We all know that it is very difficult to enforce these fines against school students, who would ultimately be responsible for paying them. We therefore announced that we wanted to take a more sensible approach and that we would start with an education campaign informing students of their mutual obligation. When the SmartRider ticket comes in, we will have the capacity to implement a suspension system if it becomes necessary. If we find that students are not honouring the mutual obligation, we will regulate, as we said we would, to establish a penalty. However, the penalty will not be a fine; it will be more in the direction of a suspension of availability of the special ticket. That is a much more sensible and reasonable way of approaching this matter.
There is another aspect to this issue. At the same time as the government made this announcement, it announced the concept of mutual obligation that is attached to this 50c ticket; namely, that students will be required to relinquish their seats for adults and persons with special needs. I was somewhat amused to hear on the radio the member for Darling Range ranting about the fact that he could not believe how silent the government had been on its survey. I issued this survey and I was interviewed on radio about it. I spoke to three television stations and I released a media statement on it. I do not know whether the member for Darling Range’s smoke alarm was ringing so loudly that he could not hear it, but I can assure him that the government has been anything but silent about it. The government has undertaken an analysis of the community’s expectations. It is quite clear that there is an expectation that school students travelling on these special fares should be required to stand. However, it is also quite clear that the people surveyed were far more equivocal about the concept of fining school students for not standing. In that regard we saw a different response. Around 54 per cent across the board said that they would support a $50 fine, but in some areas, for example on the Clarkson line, the majority of people actually opposed it. We all know that it is very difficult to enforce these fines against school students, who would ultimately be responsible for paying them. We therefore announced that we wanted to take a more sensible approach and that we would start with an education campaign informing students of their mutual obligation. When the SmartRider ticket comes in, we will have the capacity to implement a suspension system if it becomes necessary. If we find that students are not honouring the mutual obligation, we will regulate, as we said we would, to establish a penalty. However, the penalty will not be a fine; it will be more in the direction of a suspension of availability of the special ticket. That is a much more sensible and reasonable way of approaching this matter.
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