Dr MARJORIE O'NEILL (Coogee) (19:08:32): On 24 October the transport Minister announced the privatisation of regions 7, 8 and 9 buses, which includes the eastern suburbs bus services. Since then my office has received thousands of emails, letters, phone calls and signed petitions from local residents, furious that this Government has turned its back on them and broken pre‑election promises. I have received more than 50 letters from students of St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, Clovelly, who have detailed to me their concerns about the privatisation and why they think it is so important to keep these buses in public hands.
By privatising our eastern suburbs buses the Premier and her Liberal Government are breaking three key election promises to the people of the Coogee electorate and of New South Wales: there would be no further privatisations; the Government would increase existing bus services in the eastern suburbs; and the Government would return the 378, a bus that it previously cut. During the election the Premier and the Liberal candidate for Coogee committed in published media releases on Liberal Party letterhead to reinstate bus services that had been cancelled and to increase services. To quote Nina Vesper from St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, "The Premier has lied." One thing is clear: the privatisation of public buses does not work in the public's favour. We know the moment public assets are privatised that profits come before people and the interests of shareholders trump that of passengers.
Figures from the State's transport agency have revealed that since the inner west buses have been privatised the punctuality of buses has worsened. The on-time running of buses operated by Transit Systems averaged 90.5 per cent between January and April, which was worse than the 93.5 per cent by the government‑owned State Transit Authority in the same period a year earlier. In the inner west the distance between bus stops has been extended, making accessibility much harder for older Australians as well as those with injuries, ailments and accessibility difficulties. Ask any inner west commuter, their day-to-day travel is now harder, slower and more cramped than it was when their buses were in public hands.
The eastern suburbs community, through groups like Save Our Buses, have been strongly advocating for years on the importance of the local bus networks. Grassroots groups like this have seen the damage that cuts to public services can do to the fabric of a community. They know firsthand that this sell‑off of our buses will see the elderly, parents with prams, schoolchildren and workers suffer. It will be the local routes taken by everyday people that will be the ones really under threat—the buses people take to go to the doctor, the supermarket, the library and the hospital. Privatisation puts at risk these much‑loved routes whilst also placing price pressure on the fares of all routes still in operation after the privatisation is finalised. It is clear that the Government is committed to further cuts to services when it opens the light rail. In 2014 the Government published its proposed changes to bus services as a result of the light rail. We know that the following buses are on the chopping block: the 372, 373, 374, 375, 376, 377, 395, 396, 343, 397, M10, M50, 391, 392, 393, 394, 399 and the L94.
If members needed any further proof that bus privatisation does not work they should look no further than the other side of the House. The members for the electorates of Wakehurst and Pittwater are well known for their advocacy for public buses, with both using their voices to ensure the B‑Line bus service to the northern beaches was brought on as a public service and was retained in public hands. Both these members have also spoken out about the failures of private bus services. They refused to see public services in their Liberal electorates of Pittwater and Wakehurst sold off to the highest bidder. I note that the member for Wakehurst was quoted in a local paper as being "completely opposed to tossing the baby out with the bath water when generally the local bus system and drivers were doing a good job". Apparently, the transport Minister does not agree with them.
What may be the most concerning element of this debacle is the malevolent attempts by the Government to gag any arguments against privatisation and silence its critics. On 5 November I was asked by the Rail Tram and Bus Union to visit the workers of both Randwick and Waverley depots, talk to them about the privatisation of their services and listen to their concerns about the privatisation. Unfortunately I was not allowed access to the depot or the workers onsite as there was a concern that I might say something negative about the Government. A duly elected member of State Parliament was denied access to visit a State asset in case she spoke out against the government of the day.
I woke up this morning in the year 2019 but on 5 November we would each be forgiven for thinking it was 1984. We were forced onto the street where we held a public meeting at Randwick and at Bondi Junction; more than 300 people turned up for a snap rally to stop the privatisation of the eastern suburbs bus network and to also speak out against a government that wants to silence any dissent towards it. People are worried that their vital bus services will be cut once a private company takes over. Along with being the local member I am a fifth generation local. I catch these buses to get to where I need to go. Today I reaffirm my commitment to fight to keep these buses in public hands. This is not a done deal, not by a long way.
