Labor’s promise to derail Liberals’ rail sell-off plans labelled dangerous

The Liberals say South Australians have eight billion reasons not to trust Labor on its transport policy.

• SA Government to privatise Adelaide train and tram services
• Analysis: This rail shift could shape the next election

State Labor’s plan to reverse tram and train contracts if elected to power has been scoffed at by the State Government, which says there are eight billion reasons why the Opposition cannot be trusted on privatisation.

Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas officially launched his plans for public transport as he addressed about 350 party faithful at the ALP State Convention in Adelaide yesterday.

Transport Minister Stephan Knoll said the plans, which would require any contracts signed before the next state election to be scrapped, as “downright dangerous.”

He accused Mr Malinauskas of “rank hypocrisy” as Mr Knoll outlined $3 billion worth of public transport-related privatisation for everything from metro and regional bus services to train security and maintenance under Labor’s previous reign.

“Peter Malinauskas and Labor should be judged on what they did when in government, not their empty hollow words,” Mr Knoll told the Sunday Mail.

“The facts speak for themselves: Labor sold over $5 billion worth of assets and outsourced around $3 billion of public transport services and maintenance works.

“Labor went back out to the private sector twice in their time in office to ask the private sector to run our bus services at a cost of over $2 billion.”

Mr Malinauskas yesterday said he was not looking at past decisions. “I am a new leader focused on the future and this is what I believe,” he said.

“I did not get into politics to follow in other people’s footsteps. I have to do what I believe to be right for my party and for my state and I genuinely believe privatisation is an old-world, failed ideology.”

He also dismissed suggestions his policy could have an impact on business confidence.

The Labor leader said announcing his policy early meant that any “booby traps” the Government put in future bus or tram contracts were the Government’s fault, not his.

Mr Knoll said the policy was “ dangerous”.

“It’s dangerous and sends a chilling message to potential investors and could smash business confidence in SA,” he said. “Where will Mr Malinauskas and Labor stop?

“Will they tear up water licences and mining agreements to score cheap political points at the expense of South Australians?”

Earlier yesterday, Mr Malinauskas received a standing ovation from party faithful for his new policy, which was revealed by The Advertiser here.

Federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese, who has only visited SA once since May’s election loss, was notably absent from state Labor’s largest annual event.

Mr Malinauskas said Mr Albanese supported the policy and the conference was attended by senior federal Labor figures, and South Australians, Penny Wong and Don Farrell.