2 April 2025
The Hon. R.A. SIMMS (16:59): I want to thank all honourable members for their contributions: the Hon. Jing Lee, the Hon. Tung Ngo and the Hon. Ben Hood. I thank members for their generous comments as well. I do always feel a sense of dread when I see the Hon. Tung Ngo rise to his feet on one of my motions because I know that he is being deployed to try to defeat it. You know when you see the Hon. Mr Tung Ngo on his feet that the Labor Party have sent him out to deliver—
The PRESIDENT: Order! Do not attack the Hon. Mr Ngo. Come on, the Hon. Mr Simms.
The Hon. R.A. SIMMS: I am defending the Hon. Tung Ngo, Mr President, because he is always being deployed to deliver the bad news, so I feel sorry for him in that regard. But today it does appear that there is broad support in this chamber for the proposal. I recognise the fact that the opposition are not opposing this motion. If this motion passes today, as it appears that it will, I think that sends a clear message to the Malinauskas government as they craft their next budget that this chamber wants action on public transport fares,
We are seeing momentum building now for 50¢ fares. We saw a resolution pass the Adelaide City Council last month calling on the government to take this seriously. We are now going to see a resolution pass this chamber today also calling on the government to take this seriously. It should be noted that in their last budget the Malinauskas government actually increased Metrocard single fares by 15¢ to $4.40, which means that South Australian commuters pay some of the highest public transport fares in the country. That is in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis and the middle of a climate crisis. Reducing fares to 50¢ would provide real relief to South Australian families. Indeed, the Greens have calculated that 50¢ fares would save the average SA family of four that uses public transport five days a week up to $290 a month and $1,740 over a six-month period.
It is my view that public transport should be free, but at least a six-month 50¢ trial would provide families with some relief. I am calling on the Malinauskas government to follow the lead of Queensland and to roll that out here. In summing up, I recognise the point that the Hon. Ben Hood has made—and it is a fair point—about the need also to increase accessibility of our public transport network. Absolutely, that includes underground rail, that absolutely includes rail to Mount Barker and the Adelaide Hills, and it absolutely includes expanding public transport in the regions as well.
Motion carried.