PUBLIC
TRANSPORT AUTHORITY — TRANSIT OFFICERS — ASSAULTS AGAINST
331. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Minister for Transport:
I refer to recent Public Transport
Authority data that shows a 20 per cent increase over the last 12-month
reporting period in the number of physical assaults on Perth transit officers.
What concrete actions is the minister taking to address these alarming figures
and protect those transit officers, and also the passengers on the trains, from
physical assaults and dangerous offenders?
Ms R.
SAFFIOTI replied:
We are big supporters of public
transport in Western Australia. What we do not do is talk down public transport
in WA, as the Nationals WA and the Liberal Party want to do all the time. The
Liberal and National Parties do not support public transport in WA. We support
public transport. One of the key things is to get more people to catch public
transport.
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI: We are
building Metronet, which means building new train stations, improving safety
and installing more CCTV cameras across the
network. You oppose the rejuvenation of our public transport system. You
oppose investing in our public transport system, so do not come in here and
talk about public transport when you run it down every day of the week! Go and
look at the cars in the car park, members.
They are still running down public
transport. That is what they are doing. What we are doing is supporting our
transit officers and we want more people catching public transport.
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI: Sorry?
Ms M.J. Davies: I was talking
to the minister.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI: Okay; keep
talking.
Ms M.J. Davies: I was talking
to the minister next to you.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI: It is
question time. This is not the time for a conversation across the chamber. What
was the Leader of the Opposition saying? She does this all the time, members—just
talks, talks and talks but is too gutless to stand up and say anything of any
consequence.
Ms M.J. Davies: You're
a delight, you are.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI: I am a hard
worker; that is what I am.
Back to public transport. We support
public transport. We do not undermine public transport in Western Australia. The opposition goes around undermining public
transport. What are we doing? We are improving safety across the
network, installing more CCTV cameras and employing more transit officers than
ever. We are investing in our public transport network. Of course we want more
people to catch public transport.
Several members interjected.
Ms
R. SAFFIOTI: We are bringing in
initiatives like the two-zone cap, which will get more people onto our public
transport and give them more confidence, unlike opposition members, who want to
undermine public transport every day of the week.