Page 4398 - Week 14 - Wednesday, 8 December 1993
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PUBLIC TRANSPORT SECTOR
Discussion of
Matter of Public Importance
MADAM SPEAKER: I have received a letter from Mr De Domenico proposing that a matter of public importance be submitted to the Assembly for discussion, namely:
The need for micro-economic reform in Canberra's public transport sector, as recommended by the Federal Government's Industry Commission Report into Urban Transport and the ACTION Bus Benchmarking study prepared for the ACT Department of Urban Services.
MR DE DOMENICO (3.21): Madam Speaker, there is no doubt that everybody throughout the length and breadth of the ACT agrees that there is a need for micro-economic reform in Canberra's public transport sector. I think everybody in this house agrees. Not only has it been agreed to by bodies like the Industry Commission and the Government's own benchmarking study; I think that even the Minister for Urban Services, Mr Connolly, and others in this house agree and, in fact, have acted upon micro-economic reforms required in the area of urban transport. Having said that, Madam Speaker, on Thursday, 14 October, Mr Connolly dismissed the findings of the Industry Commission report on urban transport which said that reform at ACTION was too slow. He said:
I challenge the Industry Commission to show any jurisdiction in Australia where a public transport authority has received a 20 per cent reduction in costs over three years.
In New South Wales, Madam Speaker, projected operating subsidies will decline by 24.2 per cent for the New South Wales State Rail Authority in just one year. In New South Wales the State Transit Authority's operating costs are expected to decline by $70m in real terms from 1988 to 1993 - five years - while projections show an $80m decline by 1995-96. In Victoria the Minister for Public Transport, Alan Brown, has announced savings of $20m annually through contracting out. Not only is contracting out saving money; it is making money because areas like canteens and refreshment rooms in Victoria, for example, will make a profit of $400,000. The information from New South Wales was supplied to me by Mr Bruce Baird and it says:
State Transit aims to further progress in 1993-1994 towards full commercialisation.
So Mr Baird, far from disagreeing with the Industry Commission's main findings, is already implementing the suggested changes, unlike other areas and other jurisdictions.
Madam Speaker, from time to time when people stand up and talk about the need for micro-economic reform in ACTION bus services they can be accused automatically of attacking bus drivers or attacking all sorts of other workers. As people may know, from time to time even members of the Opposition talk to bus drivers. In fact, some bus drivers take great pleasure in talking to members of the Opposition in preference to members from other parties in this Assembly.
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