Page 184 - Week 01 - Thursday, 9 April 1992
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Mr De Domenico: What have you done?
MR CONNOLLY: Mr De Domenico is excited about the ratio of staff to buses. In 1989-90, the period in which my colleague Mrs Grassby was Minister, there were 1,016 staff and 479 buses. In 1990-91, this period in which the Liberals were in power, there were 1,091 staff - a bit of a jump on staff, up 75 - and 463 buses, a bit of a reduction in buses. There were more staff and fewer buses. This is Liberal efficiency at work, Madam Speaker!
Mr De Domenico: What are you going to do about it?
MR CONNOLLY: Not what we are going to do; what we have done.
Mr De Domenico: What have you done?
MR CONNOLLY: As of today there are 1,059 staff - that is a reduction of 32 staff, but an increase of four apprentices. We are still taking on our apprentices; we are still fulfilling our important obligation to provide trade training for this community. We have reduced the number of staff - - -
Mr De Domenico: What about providing buses when people want them, though? What about providing buses?
Ms Follett: Madam Speaker, I raise a point of order. Mr De Domenico's continual interjections really are getting to the point where you cannot even hear the speaker who is on his feet. I would ask you to call him to order.
MADAM SPEAKER: We did hear your first speech, Mr De Domenico; we do not need to hear it again, thank you.
MR CONNOLLY: Thank you, Madam Speaker. What we have done is this: There are 1,059 staff - we are down 32 staff, but we are still employing apprentices - and there are 465 buses as of today - more buses. In contrast, with Mrs Grassby as Minister or Labor back in with me as Minister, we have bus numbers going back up and staff numbers coming down. When you people were running the show, or thought you were running the show, staff numbers were going up and bus numbers were coming down. That is Liberal efficiency at work!
This matter of public importance is simply wrong. This Government has the runs on the board in relation to achieving efficiencies within ACTION. Let us look at the level of subsidies, because this report notes that one of the management imposed goals within ACTION - in fact, the principal strategic goal - is to reduce the real operating subsidy per passenger boarding. This report notes that that in fact increased, and that is quite right. It was $2.15 real subsidy per passenger in the period of the first Labor Government; it increased to $2.22 real subsidy per passenger during the period of this report; and we have now got it back to $2.15. It is back on track, Madam Speaker; back on track and heading for efficiencies. The period of the Liberal - - -
Mr Humphries: Is it enough?
MR CONNOLLY: No, it is not good enough and we will do more. The point is that when you people had the reins of power in this place, when you people were out shutting down schools and ripping into the health system and generally
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