❓ Mrs Munday asks about the outcomes of free public transport and if anyone opposes cheaper public transport. Minister Saffioti touts the success and accuses the Liberal leader of opposing free SmartRiders.
AnsweredQoN 111Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PUBLIC TRANSPORT —
COST-OF-LIVING RELIEF
111. Mrs L.A. MUNDAY to the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
efforts to support Western Australians facing cost-of-living pressures.
(1) Can the minister update the
house on the outcomes of this government's summer of free public
transport?
(2) Can the minister also advise the house whether she
is aware of anyone who is opposed to important cost- of-living
initiatives, such as cheaper public transport?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order please,
members!
COST-OF-LIVING RELIEF
111. Mrs L.A. MUNDAY to the Minister for Transport:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
efforts to support Western Australians facing cost-of-living pressures.
(1) Can the minister update the
house on the outcomes of this government's summer of free public
transport?
(2) Can the minister also advise the house whether she
is aware of anyone who is opposed to important cost- of-living
initiatives, such as cheaper public transport?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order please,
members!
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I thank the member for Dawesville for that
question. Of course, the residents of the member for Dawesville's electorate are already benefiting significantly from the two-zone fare cap.
Remember, it is one of those areas that benefited most from that initiative,
with —
Mr D.A. Templeman : That's
right. We love it!
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : The member
for Mandurah is very excited by it, too! Residents there are saving thousands
of dollars each year in commute costs because of the two-zone fare cap. I think
one-way travel went down from $11 to less than $5. As we can see, those
residents are already benefiting from a range of initiatives. Of course, we
also had the summer of free public
transport, and some numbers have come through that demonstrate just how successful that was. There were 10.51 million total boardings on Transperth trains, buses
and ferries in January. Those are the best numbers for over a decade, members.
It was a record January for our buses, with 5.9 million boardings. As the
Premier just outlined, there was an overall record for ferries—108 000
boardings in January, eclipsing the previous record set. Our train network was
also very, very strong, hitting numbers of 4.5 million; that is a record since
pre-COVID. Of course, the Armadale line shutdown affected those numbers, but we
can see how strong the numbers still are. It was also the best January on
record for the Mandurah line, member for Mandurah, with 1.7 million boardings,
and the best January since pre-COVID for the Joondalup line, with 1.2 million
boardings. The numbers go on.
This is all about making it more
affordable for people to travel across the state. In regional WA there were
also many initiatives rolled out in areas that have public transport services.
We have increased the allowance in regional Western Australia for those who
take their children to school. We have a two-zone fare cap for regional
residents who fly, again saving regional residents hundreds of dollars at a time.
We also distributed free SmartRiders to members
of Parliament. We initially gave them 15 each, but they were so successful that
we made sure a further 50 were sent out to all local members, including
those in the opposition. I have not heard any thanks for that from the
opposition, but do members know who opposed the initiative of giving free
SmartRiders to the community?
Mr R.H. Cook : Who'd
do that?
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : It was the
Leader of the Liberal Party, members.
Several members interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : It was the
Leader of the Liberal Party who opposed it, saying —
� I question the Cook Labor
Government's agenda with this particular scheme, �
She
opposed us giving free SmartRiders to the public to help them catch trains,
buses and ferries for free on Sundays , for example, and during the
summer. This is why the opposition, and the Liberal Party in particular, have
never got public transport. It never gets public transport.
Mr R.H. Cook : They certainly
never deliver it.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : It sees
public transport as some sort of evil to the community. It does not understand
that it is about connecting people to jobs, connecting people to training
opportunities and medical facilities, and letting people move around the
suburbs at an affordable rate. We talk about the cost of living; having
initiatives to support public transport, whether through capped fares or free
public transport over summer, on Sundays or for students, is all about supporting people with the cost of
living. Every time the opposition knocks public transport, it is knocking the government helping people with the cost
of living. It does not matter how many years go by or how many times we
demonstrate how our record compares with that of the opposition, the opposition's
disregard and hatred for public transport continues to cut through. Its hatred
for public transport is in its DNA. We are very proud of what we are delivering—affordable
public transport that connects people and families, and gives Western Australians
opportunities that they would never receive under a Liberal–National
government.
question. Of course, the residents of the member for Dawesville's electorate are already benefiting significantly from the two-zone fare cap.
Remember, it is one of those areas that benefited most from that initiative,
with —
Mr D.A. Templeman : That's
right. We love it!
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : The member
for Mandurah is very excited by it, too! Residents there are saving thousands
of dollars each year in commute costs because of the two-zone fare cap. I think
one-way travel went down from $11 to less than $5. As we can see, those
residents are already benefiting from a range of initiatives. Of course, we
also had the summer of free public
transport, and some numbers have come through that demonstrate just how successful that was. There were 10.51 million total boardings on Transperth trains, buses
and ferries in January. Those are the best numbers for over a decade, members.
It was a record January for our buses, with 5.9 million boardings. As the
Premier just outlined, there was an overall record for ferries—108 000
boardings in January, eclipsing the previous record set. Our train network was
also very, very strong, hitting numbers of 4.5 million; that is a record since
pre-COVID. Of course, the Armadale line shutdown affected those numbers, but we
can see how strong the numbers still are. It was also the best January on
record for the Mandurah line, member for Mandurah, with 1.7 million boardings,
and the best January since pre-COVID for the Joondalup line, with 1.2 million
boardings. The numbers go on.
This is all about making it more
affordable for people to travel across the state. In regional WA there were
also many initiatives rolled out in areas that have public transport services.
We have increased the allowance in regional Western Australia for those who
take their children to school. We have a two-zone fare cap for regional
residents who fly, again saving regional residents hundreds of dollars at a time.
We also distributed free SmartRiders to members
of Parliament. We initially gave them 15 each, but they were so successful that
we made sure a further 50 were sent out to all local members, including
those in the opposition. I have not heard any thanks for that from the
opposition, but do members know who opposed the initiative of giving free
SmartRiders to the community?
Mr R.H. Cook : Who'd
do that?
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : It was the
Leader of the Liberal Party, members.
Several members interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : It was the
Leader of the Liberal Party who opposed it, saying —
� I question the Cook Labor
Government's agenda with this particular scheme, �
She
opposed us giving free SmartRiders to the public to help them catch trains,
buses and ferries for free on Sundays , for example, and during the
summer. This is why the opposition, and the Liberal Party in particular, have
never got public transport. It never gets public transport.
Mr R.H. Cook : They certainly
never deliver it.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : It sees
public transport as some sort of evil to the community. It does not understand
that it is about connecting people to jobs, connecting people to training
opportunities and medical facilities, and letting people move around the
suburbs at an affordable rate. We talk about the cost of living; having
initiatives to support public transport, whether through capped fares or free
public transport over summer, on Sundays or for students, is all about supporting people with the cost of
living. Every time the opposition knocks public transport, it is knocking the government helping people with the cost
of living. It does not matter how many years go by or how many times we
demonstrate how our record compares with that of the opposition, the opposition's
disregard and hatred for public transport continues to cut through. Its hatred
for public transport is in its DNA. We are very proud of what we are delivering—affordable
public transport that connects people and families, and gives Western Australians
opportunities that they would never receive under a Liberal–National
government.
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