❓ Mr Rundle questions fines issued to students despite free public transport. The Minister defends the policy, citing rule adherence and criticizes the opposition's stance on public transport subsidies, leading to heated exchanges.
AnsweredQoN 415Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PUBLIC
TRANSPORT — FARE-FREE TRAVEL — FINES
415. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Minister for Transport:
More than 20 students have
been fined every day for not tagging on to public transport, resulting in a total
of $135 000 in fines. In addition to this, 1 350 teenagers have been fined for
travelling on the Transperth network without tagging on with SmartRider
cards.
(1) Given that
the government announced free public transport for schoolchildren, why does it
continue to take money from our kids?
(2) Is this an
indication that the campaign was not effectively communicated to them?
(3) Will the
minister commit to an educative approach rather than a punitive one and refund
the students she has fined?
TRANSPORT — FARE-FREE TRAVEL — FINES
415. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Minister for Transport:
More than 20 students have
been fined every day for not tagging on to public transport, resulting in a total
of $135 000 in fines. In addition to this, 1 350 teenagers have been fined for
travelling on the Transperth network without tagging on with SmartRider
cards.
(1) Given that
the government announced free public transport for schoolchildren, why does it
continue to take money from our kids?
(2) Is this an
indication that the campaign was not effectively communicated to them?
(3) Will the
minister commit to an educative approach rather than a punitive one and refund
the students she has fined?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3)
Okay; a couple of things. The number of infringements since the start of the
program represents 0.18 per cent of the more
than 7.3 million student SmartRider boardings in the same period. It is free
public transport for those who follow the rules. Of course, sometimes
some kids legitimately have forgotten their SmartRiders and warnings are
provided. I am advised that those who are wearing their school uniform are
given warnings. There is a small percentage of children aged under 18 years who
sometimes present management issues in relation to antisocial behaviour and how
they manage themselves on the bus and train system, and, of course, that
affects other people catching those trains and buses. I will tell members what:
I get more complaints about people misbehaving than I do about other issues on
the network. We are very proud of our free public transport for students.
I tell members what: do members
know what the previous government never did? It never issued fines to people
travelling on the Ellenbrook line, did it? It never issued fines for people
travelling on Metro Area Express light rail because it failed to deliver on
public transport. On this matter, I do not understand where the opposition is
at. It opposes subsidising public transport. Both the Liberal Party and the
National Party came into this chamber—so they did in the upper house—railing
against our increased subsidy for public transport. Opposition members said
that we should not be subsidising public transport this much. That is what the
Leader of the Opposition said. During the forward estimates, the member for
Cottesloe said we should not be subsiding public transport.
Dr D.J. Honey : No, we didn't. That's
completely untrue. I said you're wasting public money because you can't
manage the public transport system properly.
The SPEAKER : Order, please, member for Cottesloe.
Dr D.J. Honey : Tell the truth.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : This is important. He said that the costs have blown
out. One of the reasons the cost of operating the system—the net
cost—has increased is that we are providing free public transport. The
net operating cost of the system has increased. Do members know what drives the
net operating cost? It is expenditure minus revenue. When we give free public
transport to students —
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : When our government gives free public transport
on Sundays, a summer of free public transport, and caps public transport fares to two zones, that increases the
subsidy. Members opposite come in here talking about fines, so I ask:
what is their policy on the operating costs of public transport?
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : The member has said that there were
7.3 million free boardings. What is the Leader of the Opposition going to do?
He will disregard the people of the suburbs, like he always does! Why does he
not go out and tell people how much he will
increase public transport fares by? Why does he not do that? I provided
information about operating costs.
Mr R.S. Love : You're mean. That's more
than 1 300 kids.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : How much will he increase public transport costs
by? Honestly, the Leader of the Opposition —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Talk about
mean! I will tell members what mean is. It is a Leader of the Opposition who
sacrifices members of Parliament because he is trying to shore up his position
in the midwest. He goes and gets rid of members of Parliament for his own ego.
That is the definition. He went out there —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister, sit
down. Points of order are heard in silence.
Point of Order
Mr P.J. RUNDLE : My question
is about these 1 300 —
The SPEAKER : Sorry; have you
got a question or a point of order?
Mr P.J. RUNDLE : It must be
relevant, under section 78 of the standing orders. The minister is drifting
into irrelevancy.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : No, I am responding
to interjections.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! I do
not uphold that point of order. We have had far too many interjections. I understand that some people feel very provoked by what is said, but there is no point of
order. I ask the minister to respond and wind up her answer.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Sure. I will
keep responding to what they said. The Leader of the Opposition goes and
basically sacks or gets rid of members of Parliament who cannot help him
individually. He does not care about the party around the state, but about his
own ego. He goes and gets rid of members of Parliament because they do not
shore up his position in the midwest. That is what he did and everyone knows
what he did.
In relation to public transport, we
are proud of free public transport. The National and Liberal Parties said that
we should not be subsidising public transport as much. That is their position;
they do not want to subsidise public transport. They came in here and said that
in both estimates and the budget reply. That means that the opposition will
increase public transport costs for everyone in Western Australia. That is the
policy position. When people start asking the opposition for its policy
positions out there, I cannot wait to hear the response. I cannot wait to get
clarity on just how much the opposition will increase public transport costs.
Is it 20 per cent? Is it 30 per cent? Is it 50 per cent? That is because the
opposition's policy is to increase public transport. The residents
living in the Dawesville electorate will not get the two-zone cap anymore; I will
tell members that! The opposition will increase the cost of public transport
for all Western Australians.
Okay; a couple of things. The number of infringements since the start of the
program represents 0.18 per cent of the more
than 7.3 million student SmartRider boardings in the same period. It is free
public transport for those who follow the rules. Of course, sometimes
some kids legitimately have forgotten their SmartRiders and warnings are
provided. I am advised that those who are wearing their school uniform are
given warnings. There is a small percentage of children aged under 18 years who
sometimes present management issues in relation to antisocial behaviour and how
they manage themselves on the bus and train system, and, of course, that
affects other people catching those trains and buses. I will tell members what:
I get more complaints about people misbehaving than I do about other issues on
the network. We are very proud of our free public transport for students.
I tell members what: do members
know what the previous government never did? It never issued fines to people
travelling on the Ellenbrook line, did it? It never issued fines for people
travelling on Metro Area Express light rail because it failed to deliver on
public transport. On this matter, I do not understand where the opposition is
at. It opposes subsidising public transport. Both the Liberal Party and the
National Party came into this chamber—so they did in the upper house—railing
against our increased subsidy for public transport. Opposition members said
that we should not be subsidising public transport this much. That is what the
Leader of the Opposition said. During the forward estimates, the member for
Cottesloe said we should not be subsiding public transport.
Dr D.J. Honey : No, we didn't. That's
completely untrue. I said you're wasting public money because you can't
manage the public transport system properly.
The SPEAKER : Order, please, member for Cottesloe.
Dr D.J. Honey : Tell the truth.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : This is important. He said that the costs have blown
out. One of the reasons the cost of operating the system—the net
cost—has increased is that we are providing free public transport. The
net operating cost of the system has increased. Do members know what drives the
net operating cost? It is expenditure minus revenue. When we give free public
transport to students —
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : When our government gives free public transport
on Sundays, a summer of free public transport, and caps public transport fares to two zones, that increases the
subsidy. Members opposite come in here talking about fines, so I ask:
what is their policy on the operating costs of public transport?
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : The member has said that there were
7.3 million free boardings. What is the Leader of the Opposition going to do?
He will disregard the people of the suburbs, like he always does! Why does he
not go out and tell people how much he will
increase public transport fares by? Why does he not do that? I provided
information about operating costs.
Mr R.S. Love : You're mean. That's more
than 1 300 kids.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : How much will he increase public transport costs
by? Honestly, the Leader of the Opposition —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Talk about
mean! I will tell members what mean is. It is a Leader of the Opposition who
sacrifices members of Parliament because he is trying to shore up his position
in the midwest. He goes and gets rid of members of Parliament for his own ego.
That is the definition. He went out there —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister, sit
down. Points of order are heard in silence.
Point of Order
Mr P.J. RUNDLE : My question
is about these 1 300 —
The SPEAKER : Sorry; have you
got a question or a point of order?
Mr P.J. RUNDLE : It must be
relevant, under section 78 of the standing orders. The minister is drifting
into irrelevancy.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : No, I am responding
to interjections.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! I do
not uphold that point of order. We have had far too many interjections. I understand that some people feel very provoked by what is said, but there is no point of
order. I ask the minister to respond and wind up her answer.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Sure. I will
keep responding to what they said. The Leader of the Opposition goes and
basically sacks or gets rid of members of Parliament who cannot help him
individually. He does not care about the party around the state, but about his
own ego. He goes and gets rid of members of Parliament because they do not
shore up his position in the midwest. That is what he did and everyone knows
what he did.
In relation to public transport, we
are proud of free public transport. The National and Liberal Parties said that
we should not be subsidising public transport as much. That is their position;
they do not want to subsidise public transport. They came in here and said that
in both estimates and the budget reply. That means that the opposition will
increase public transport costs for everyone in Western Australia. That is the
policy position. When people start asking the opposition for its policy
positions out there, I cannot wait to hear the response. I cannot wait to get
clarity on just how much the opposition will increase public transport costs.
Is it 20 per cent? Is it 30 per cent? Is it 50 per cent? That is because the
opposition's policy is to increase public transport. The residents
living in the Dawesville electorate will not get the two-zone cap anymore; I will
tell members that! The opposition will increase the cost of public transport
for all Western Australians.
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