❓ Mr Jones asks about the SmartRider upgrade progress. The Minister responds with an update on trials and criticises the opposition's stance on public transport, particularly Metronet, highlighting perceived inconsistencies in their messaging.
AnsweredQoN 441Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Public Transport Authority—Commuter payment options
441. Mr Hugh Jones to
the Minister for Transport:
I refer the minister
to last week's announcement regarding the rollout of SmartRider upgrades.
(1) Can the minister update the house on the
progress of the announcement?
(2) Is the minister aware of any recent
conversions to the public transport cause?
441. Mr Hugh Jones to
the Minister for Transport:
I refer the minister
to last week's announcement regarding the rollout of SmartRider upgrades.
(1) Can the minister update the house on the
progress of the announcement?
(2) Is the minister aware of any recent
conversions to the public transport cause?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I thank the member for Darling
Range for that question. We are rolling out affordable, accessible and
efficient public transport, and one of the key projects has been the SmartRider
upgrade and the ability, very soon, to pay for your
public transport service with your credit card, phone or smartwatch. I know that
people are very excited by this.
We are undertaking a trial, and
that trial has commenced with choosing 50 people to ride the ferry service from
South Perth to Elizabeth Quay, trialling their phones or credit cards. That
trial is underway at the moment. Should we go through that trial successfully,
we will move on to the wider bus and train network and
will select 150 regular public transport passengers to undertake that trial. Just
for reference, Transperth staff are also currently using the new
technology.
This is part of the public
transport transformation. It is about making sure that we have the best
technology. It is also about having the most affordable fares, and that is why we
not only dropped fares to a two-zone fare cap, but also will drop the price to
a one-zone fare cap from 1 January.
As members know, the Liberal
Party has been against public transport. It has been against Metronet. As we
know, both the Nationals WA and Liberal Party are against Metronet, and we know
that because they have been screaming about it every day. If I just mention the
word "Metronet", the member for Cottesloe starts yelling, even though
she was a big supporter of it a few months back. The Leader of the National
Party, the party that had dedicated anti-Metronet stickers on their cars, claimed
that no-one was living along the Ellenbrook line corridor. He said that there
were cow paddocks where, in fact, tens of thousands of people live.
The Leader of the Opposition has
probably been the chief attacker of Metronet. Like the six opposition leaders
before him, he has been attacking Metronet every day, saying that we should not
be doing it and writing letters to us that say, "Stop building rail lines
and rail stations, minister." He actually wrote a letter that said to stop
building the rail lines and rail stations.
I was interested to see a post by
the current federal Liberal member for Canning, Andrew Hastie, who was out and
about with the Leader of the Opposition. They are besties! Do members know
where he was? Members might be surprised, but he was at a train station! The
Leader of the Opposition, who believes that we should not be delivering
Metronet train stations, did a video at a Metronet train station. "Both-ways
Baz" is at it again, members. This is the transcript of that video. The
federal member for Canning, Andrew Hastie, said, "Now, Baz, I love trains."
The Leader of the Opposition said, "Here it is. Here it is," and the
federal member for Canning said, "Exactly. We're at Lakelands train
station." Andrew Hastie then said, "This is a game changer for these
people!"
We have a Leader of the
Opposition who said that we were spending too much on Metronet. "They got another
budget dominated by a single obsession—Metronet", said the Leader
of the Opposition. Then, at the Lakelands train station, there he is, just chatting
to some of the locals who say this is great. The Leader of the Opposition, the commentator
who is on mute, has said that a Metronet station is great. He goes even further:
he is not satisfied with just what we are delivering on Metronet; he wants
more! The Leader of the Opposition who said that we are spending too much on
Metronet and it is too much of our position now says that we need more Metronet.
What does he stand for? The Leader of the Opposition, who criticised Metronet
every day, then goes to a Metronet train station, Lakelands, and says that he
has been talking to locals and they love it. Who knew that people like
affordable, accessible and efficient public transport? Who knew that? Now he is
saying that we should be building more public transport.
Leader of the Opposition, are you
committed to the new Karnup train station?
Several members
interjected.
Ms Rita Saffioti: Come on! Look at that. Leader of the
Opposition, I am over here! Hello!
The Speaker: Members! Minister, we have a point of
order. Can you please be seated?
Point of order
Mr Lachlan Hunter: I think we let the Deputy Premier
continue with her performance, but she should wrap up her answer to the
question.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members, when you have finished—I
will not uphold that point of order, member for Central Wheatbelt. Minister, if
you could conclude your comments, please.
Questions without notice resumed
Ms Rita Saffioti: Sure. I was just trying to get an understanding
of where the Leader of the Opposition stands on Metronet today. It is not easy to
understand because a few days ago he was all for Metronet, but a few weeks ago
he was anti-Metronet. He was sending us letters saying, "Stop building
rail lines now." Member for Darling Range, the Leader of the Opposition
wants us to down tools and stop building the Byford rail line. This is it. We
cannot believe any word he says. Every day, he has a different position. He will
say anything to anyone. He is the full-time commentator who stands for nothing,
except rejecting anything we ever put forward.
I am glad that he supports
the Lakelands train station. I think he is committing to a new train station; I
saw that in an interview. I am glad he is on board and that the Liberal Party has
committed to another Metronet project.
Range for that question. We are rolling out affordable, accessible and
efficient public transport, and one of the key projects has been the SmartRider
upgrade and the ability, very soon, to pay for your
public transport service with your credit card, phone or smartwatch. I know that
people are very excited by this.
We are undertaking a trial, and
that trial has commenced with choosing 50 people to ride the ferry service from
South Perth to Elizabeth Quay, trialling their phones or credit cards. That
trial is underway at the moment. Should we go through that trial successfully,
we will move on to the wider bus and train network and
will select 150 regular public transport passengers to undertake that trial. Just
for reference, Transperth staff are also currently using the new
technology.
This is part of the public
transport transformation. It is about making sure that we have the best
technology. It is also about having the most affordable fares, and that is why we
not only dropped fares to a two-zone fare cap, but also will drop the price to
a one-zone fare cap from 1 January.
As members know, the Liberal
Party has been against public transport. It has been against Metronet. As we
know, both the Nationals WA and Liberal Party are against Metronet, and we know
that because they have been screaming about it every day. If I just mention the
word "Metronet", the member for Cottesloe starts yelling, even though
she was a big supporter of it a few months back. The Leader of the National
Party, the party that had dedicated anti-Metronet stickers on their cars, claimed
that no-one was living along the Ellenbrook line corridor. He said that there
were cow paddocks where, in fact, tens of thousands of people live.
The Leader of the Opposition has
probably been the chief attacker of Metronet. Like the six opposition leaders
before him, he has been attacking Metronet every day, saying that we should not
be doing it and writing letters to us that say, "Stop building rail lines
and rail stations, minister." He actually wrote a letter that said to stop
building the rail lines and rail stations.
I was interested to see a post by
the current federal Liberal member for Canning, Andrew Hastie, who was out and
about with the Leader of the Opposition. They are besties! Do members know
where he was? Members might be surprised, but he was at a train station! The
Leader of the Opposition, who believes that we should not be delivering
Metronet train stations, did a video at a Metronet train station. "Both-ways
Baz" is at it again, members. This is the transcript of that video. The
federal member for Canning, Andrew Hastie, said, "Now, Baz, I love trains."
The Leader of the Opposition said, "Here it is. Here it is," and the
federal member for Canning said, "Exactly. We're at Lakelands train
station." Andrew Hastie then said, "This is a game changer for these
people!"
We have a Leader of the
Opposition who said that we were spending too much on Metronet. "They got another
budget dominated by a single obsession—Metronet", said the Leader
of the Opposition. Then, at the Lakelands train station, there he is, just chatting
to some of the locals who say this is great. The Leader of the Opposition, the commentator
who is on mute, has said that a Metronet station is great. He goes even further:
he is not satisfied with just what we are delivering on Metronet; he wants
more! The Leader of the Opposition who said that we are spending too much on
Metronet and it is too much of our position now says that we need more Metronet.
What does he stand for? The Leader of the Opposition, who criticised Metronet
every day, then goes to a Metronet train station, Lakelands, and says that he
has been talking to locals and they love it. Who knew that people like
affordable, accessible and efficient public transport? Who knew that? Now he is
saying that we should be building more public transport.
Leader of the Opposition, are you
committed to the new Karnup train station?
Several members
interjected.
Ms Rita Saffioti: Come on! Look at that. Leader of the
Opposition, I am over here! Hello!
The Speaker: Members! Minister, we have a point of
order. Can you please be seated?
Point of order
Mr Lachlan Hunter: I think we let the Deputy Premier
continue with her performance, but she should wrap up her answer to the
question.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members, when you have finished—I
will not uphold that point of order, member for Central Wheatbelt. Minister, if
you could conclude your comments, please.
Questions without notice resumed
Ms Rita Saffioti: Sure. I was just trying to get an understanding
of where the Leader of the Opposition stands on Metronet today. It is not easy to
understand because a few days ago he was all for Metronet, but a few weeks ago
he was anti-Metronet. He was sending us letters saying, "Stop building
rail lines now." Member for Darling Range, the Leader of the Opposition
wants us to down tools and stop building the Byford rail line. This is it. We
cannot believe any word he says. Every day, he has a different position. He will
say anything to anyone. He is the full-time commentator who stands for nothing,
except rejecting anything we ever put forward.
I am glad that he supports
the Lakelands train station. I think he is committing to a new train station; I
saw that in an interview. I am glad he is on board and that the Liberal Party has
committed to another Metronet project.
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