1 00:00:00,920 --> 00:00:03,480 Speaker 1: Let's talk about public transport, and I've been saying for 2 00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:06,640 Speaker 1: a very long time, given the fact it is subsidized 3 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:10,080 Speaker 1: to around ninety odd percent. Now I don't have the 4 00:00:10,119 --> 00:00:13,080 Speaker 1: exact figure, but it is that high. And you think 5 00:00:13,119 --> 00:00:15,720 Speaker 1: of the cost of every single bus on the road, 6 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:19,000 Speaker 1: brand new one costs six to seven hundred thousand dollars, 7 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:22,279 Speaker 1: and the articulated ones of the Bendi ones even more. 8 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:29,720 Speaker 1: New trains upgrading the Gaula line eight hundred and forty 9 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:33,240 Speaker 1: million dollars. We pay four dollars in peak times for 10 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:38,960 Speaker 1: a ticket for fifty Then yes, we are extremely subsidized 11 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 1: with our public transport, to the point where it may 12 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:44,920 Speaker 1: as well be free because we're paying the last few 13 00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:49,040 Speaker 1: percent of the cost of the running the thing. So 14 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:52,360 Speaker 1: if that's the case, let's make it free. In Queensland 15 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:55,120 Speaker 1: they've gone to fifty cent fares just in time for 16 00:00:55,160 --> 00:00:57,680 Speaker 1: the state election. You can look at that a cynically 17 00:00:57,720 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 1: as you like. There's a call by the Greens here 18 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:02,880 Speaker 1: we should do the same. Robert Simms from the State Greens, Robert, 19 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:03,680 Speaker 1: good morning. 20 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:05,440 Speaker 2: Good morning, Matthew, good to talk to you. 21 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:08,960 Speaker 1: Well on this we agree. I think cheaper fairs. I 22 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:11,480 Speaker 1: want to go a step further make it free. Why not? 23 00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:14,640 Speaker 2: Well, exactly, Look, I totally agree with you. I mean, 24 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:17,000 Speaker 2: we've been campaigning for a long time to make public 25 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:19,360 Speaker 2: transport free and it was part of our platform for 26 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:22,520 Speaker 2: the last state election. What I think is really interesting 27 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:25,360 Speaker 2: though about what's happened in Queensland is they did a 28 00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 2: six month trial of fifty cent fairs. Now, what they 29 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:33,039 Speaker 2: found was there were three million more trips over that 30 00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:37,800 Speaker 2: time and commuters saved thirty seven million dollars over that 31 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 2: six month period. As a result, the government said, look, 32 00:01:40,440 --> 00:01:42,760 Speaker 2: we're going to make this permanent, and the opposition have 33 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:45,000 Speaker 2: come out and back to it too. So whatever the 34 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:48,480 Speaker 2: outcome of the state election in Queensland in a few 35 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:52,320 Speaker 2: months time, they're going to have fifty cent faares. Meanwhile, 36 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:55,560 Speaker 2: here in South Australia, our public transport fairs have actually 37 00:01:55,600 --> 00:01:58,320 Speaker 2: gone up in the last state budget and so that's 38 00:01:58,320 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 2: why the Greens are saying, whilst we want to make 39 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:03,280 Speaker 2: public transport free, why not as an initial step, do 40 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:06,080 Speaker 2: a six month trial of the fifty cent fairs and 41 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:08,920 Speaker 2: see how it goes. And we did the sums in 42 00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:12,520 Speaker 2: my office and we worked out that your average family 43 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:18,240 Speaker 2: of four, so two adult passes and two children concession passes. 44 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:23,360 Speaker 2: They would save seventeen hundred dollars over six months. Well 45 00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:26,640 Speaker 2: if this change was brought in, So you know, that's 46 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:29,320 Speaker 2: a lot of money that could help families as they're 47 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:31,239 Speaker 2: struggling at the moment, particularly as we head towards the 48 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:32,000 Speaker 2: Christmas period. 49 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:35,359 Speaker 1: Something has to happen there really, because they're only going up. 50 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 1: There are pittance in terms of running the system, in 51 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:41,520 Speaker 1: terms of the money raised. It needs to okay, go 52 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:44,560 Speaker 1: fifty cents, fine, but it needs to change. It's just 53 00:02:44,639 --> 00:02:48,200 Speaker 1: becoming so expensive. We keep talking about too many cars 54 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:50,920 Speaker 1: on the road. I suspect if we went even to 55 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:53,480 Speaker 1: fifty cents, there wouldn't be enough trains, buses or trams 56 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 1: in Adelaide because they'd all be full. 57 00:02:55,919 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 2: Look, Matthew, you and I were on the same page 58 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:00,560 Speaker 2: on this. I'll send you a membership of we finish 59 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:10,480 Speaker 2: up on the progress in a carbon neutral way. I 60 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:14,079 Speaker 2: think you're absolutely right that we talk a lot about 61 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:16,640 Speaker 2: the need to ease congestion and also that the need 62 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 2: to reduce carbon emissions on our road. Well, this is 63 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:22,080 Speaker 2: a really good way to do it. And whilst there 64 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:24,359 Speaker 2: comes it's a bit of a loss of revenue and 65 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 2: initially over time, actually what happens is it boosts the 66 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:32,800 Speaker 2: usage of public transport to the extent that you know, 67 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:34,720 Speaker 2: then there's less wear and tear on our roads and 68 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:37,119 Speaker 2: that has a really positive effect as well in terms 69 00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:39,920 Speaker 2: of maintenance costs and the like. What they've found over 70 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:42,320 Speaker 2: in Queensland is actually they've gone back to pre pandemic 71 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:45,760 Speaker 2: levels in terms of use of public transports, even better 72 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 2: than where they were before the pandemic. I mean, that's 73 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:52,320 Speaker 2: a really good outcome. We've got to do something, I 74 00:03:52,360 --> 00:03:54,560 Speaker 2: think here in South Australia in terms of our public 75 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 2: transport it we also need to invest in the frequency 76 00:03:57,480 --> 00:04:00,920 Speaker 2: and the accessibility of the Servicemensally, we've got to get 77 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:04,400 Speaker 2: more people using it. And at the moment I think 78 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:09,320 Speaker 2: we've got petrol prices going up. Car parking is also expensive. 79 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:12,280 Speaker 2: This is a really good way to help families that 80 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:13,040 Speaker 2: are doing it tough. 81 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:15,480 Speaker 1: You've put this to the government, I presume probably a 82 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:18,320 Speaker 1: few times now, any response any inkling that they might 83 00:04:18,400 --> 00:04:21,960 Speaker 1: be considering at least reducing public transport fares. 84 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:25,520 Speaker 2: Well, the minister keeps arguing that you know it's already 85 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:29,200 Speaker 2: heavily subsidized, and this is money that could be spent 86 00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:32,280 Speaker 2: on other essential services. You know, you wave the fees 87 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:34,839 Speaker 2: without lost revenue that could go to hospitals or schools. 88 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:39,680 Speaker 2: I find that a weak argument, because, of course, fundamentally 89 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:41,880 Speaker 2: budgets are about choices, and there are other ways that 90 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:45,800 Speaker 2: the government could raise revenue. And you know, we've talked 91 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 2: about this before in the program big Bank levy and 92 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:51,719 Speaker 2: the like, if we wanted to get some key corporations 93 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:53,640 Speaker 2: that are making big profits to make more of a 94 00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:56,360 Speaker 2: contribution to the public purse. But of course, the other 95 00:04:56,400 --> 00:04:58,800 Speaker 2: thing is the point that I made earlier that actually, 96 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:02,400 Speaker 2: when you invest in this, it is actually a saving 97 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:07,360 Speaker 2: over time because it reduces some of your other transport 98 00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:08,480 Speaker 2: infrastructure costs. 99 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:11,559 Speaker 1: Yeah, all right, Robert Simms, appreciate your time this morning. 100 00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:14,080 Speaker 2: Thank you, Thanks very much. Matthew good to chat. 101 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:16,480 Speaker 1: Green Supper House MP here in SA.