Opposition Statement: Nolan must come clean on QR Passenger restructure

[ozbob]

Fiona Simpson MP

Shadow Minister for Main Roads and Transport

Member for Maroochydore

September 1, 2009

Nolan must come clean on QR Passenger restructure

Transport Minister Rachel Nolan has refused to answer Opposition questions in Parliament today about Deloitte?s review of Queensland Rail?s Passenger Network in regard to alternative ownership structures.

Opposition Shadow Minister for Transport Fiona Simpson said the Minister either didn?t know or didn?t want to advise Parliament about the review which had major ramifications for the service which was already in turmoil.

?This review, with meetings happening today, involves the government looking at options such as:

  1. Translink taking ownership of QR Passenger
  2. Leaving QR Passenger as a GOC
  3. A State Authority owning QR passenger; or
  4. QT taking over QR Passenger

?Why won?t the Transport Minister tell QR workers and the Queensland public about this proposed restructure,? Ms Simpson said.

?Already there is turmoil in this service as Translink have not signed new contracts with QR Passenger.

?You have to ask whether this looming restructure is being used as a threat during a dispute with QR Passenger about services and payments. Meanwhile, the travelling public and workers are being left in the dark.?

Ms Simpson said the Transport Minister had form as far as not knowing what was happening in her portfolio after denying in Parliament in May that Queensland Rail was for sale, only to have the Treasurer announce the QR asset sale a few days later.

[ozbob]

This is a bit of a surprise.   What worries me is that TransLink would probably love to privatise/franchise as has happened and failed elsewhere.

I was under the impression that QR Passenger was to remain in public ownership.   At least three  of the options do ensure that essentially, but with a structure in two cases that probably guarantees a poor outcome.  The best option IMHO is to let QR Passenger get on with it today.

[ozbob]

I don't  know who or what Deloitte's is, so  I googled ..

http://www.deloitte.com/view/en_AU/au/index.htm

About us
About Deloitte

'Deloitte' is the brand under which tens of thousands of dedicated professionals in independent firms throughout the world collaborate to provide audit, consulting, financial advisory, risk management, and tax services to selected clients.  These firms are members of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, a Swiss Verein ('DTT').  Each member firm provides services in a particular geographic area and is subject to the laws and professional regulations of the particular country or countries in which it operates.

DTT helps coordinate the activities of the member firms but does not itself provide services to clients.  DTT and the member firms are separate and distinct legal entities, which cannot obligate the other entities.  DTT and each DTT member firm are only liable for their own acts or omissions, and not those of each other.  Each DTT member firm is structured differently in accordance with national laws, regulations, customary practice, and other factors, and may secure the provision of professional services in their territories through subsidiaries, affiliates, and/or other entities.

Deloitte in Australia is a member of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, one of the world?s leading professional services organisations, with revenue of over US$27.4 billion and 165,000 people in over 140 countries. We serve some of the world?s largest and most prestigious companies in the areas of audit, assurance and advisory, taxation, corporate finance and consulting.

What would they know about railways?  How much for their 'consultancy fees'?

[ozbob]

From the Queensland Parliamentary Hansard here!

Queensland Rail, Passenger Services

Ms SIMPSON: My question is to the Minister for Transport. Will the minister please explain why
Deloittes is reviewing Queensland Rail?s passenger network in regard to alternative ownership
structures? Or is this another key issue, like the rushed fire sale of QR assets, that the minister is
unaware of?

Ms NOLAN: When this government made its announcement in June about the proposed, and
now followed through, privatisation of Queensland Rail?s coal business and possibly other freight, we
made it perfectly clear that the passenger network, within both Citytrain and Traveltrain, would
absolutely stay in public hands and would continue to provide public passenger services. That
absolutely remains the case. I think that this matter is as simple as that. There is no proposal to privatise
passenger services, and we have been entirely clear about that on the public record from go to whoa.

[#Metro]

Yawn. This sounds like the usual political distractions/bickering/straw men arguments politicians load into media releases to make people think that the sky is going to fall down.

  1. Translink taking ownership of QR Passenger
  2. Leaving QR Passenger as a GOC
  3. A State Authority owning QR passenger; or
  4. QT taking over QR Passenger

None of the above options (1-4) constitutes a privatisation, under any definition of the word. Translink is a state authority. GOC are owned by the state. A state authority, is self-evidently, owned by the state, and QT is a department of the state. The above outcomes might mean a change in organisational structure and management, but not ultimate ownership or financing.

Translink taking ownership (will control transfer too?) sounds interesting. I would welcome a review- any review- by professionals that would shed a little more light into how the organisations are working, and how they could work better. I just hope that the review includes something about $. We need more $ and need to use the $ we have already to more efficiently and effectively meet the needs of the public.

Actually, a more interesting and constructive question would be to ask Ms. Nolan why there wasn't public consultation about these issues before; and regardless of her answer, whether the said report will be released to the public for comment, and by approximately when.

[ozbob]

This is a very significant revelation.  Both the TransLink and QT options are a probable pathway to the privatisation/franchise setup IMHO.  Neither organisation has the ability to run a railway.

The fact that the funding agreement is still up in the air is sort of explained now by this news.   QR Passenger is unable to add services or do much at all with the stalemate.  
Consider that the grand plan for the rural network has fallen into a deep pit, so other options are now being considered.

It would be kind of hysterical though watching TransLink and or QT fine itself for the meltdowns of a failing network and the myriad of other impacts on the operational timetable.  
Be interesting to see what the unions think of all this ..

Actually, a more interesting and constructive question would be to ask Ms. Nolan why there wasn't public consultation about these issues before; and regardless of her answer, whether the said report will be released to the public for comment, and by approximately when.

Very good points Tramtrain IMHO.

Cheers
Bob

[#Metro]

I get the feeling that major changes are on the horizon...

[mufreight]

It is well past time this increasingly desperate duplicit and incompetent government tried something new for them, HONESTY!
The solution for the problems of commuter travel is simple give the current QR Passenger administration of and responsibility for the commuter rail network.
Dispense with all these so called consultants and their high fees that produce nothing.
Shut down the existing non performing Translink organisation and pass the transport co-ordination role back to Queensland Transport which would then task QR Passenger with providing the required levels of service.
The savings made by the removal of Translink and the coterie consultants both it and the government presently engage from the field, would provide additional funding for the service and infrastructure improvements that competent Management with actual coalface experience know is needed to provide the levels of service that commuters demand.
The current government has lost sight of the community service obligations of government to provide reliable public transport to the greatest extent possible rather than what would seem is the present attitude of sell off or franchise out anything they can to provide the greatest possible profits for selected areas of the private sector and as many positions as possible for otherwise unemployable overpaid party hacks and mates.

[O_128]

your right murfreight why do we need both translink and queensland transport

[#Metro]

The savings made by the removal of Translink

Mufreight, do you really think Translink is that bad?
I thought they've been doing a stellar job...

[mufreight]

Tramtrain asked is Translink that bad? in reality NO! they are far worse than most realise, the only stellar job they do effectively is to add an unneeded level of obstruction and expense to the provision of public transport in this state.
a disfunctional inept bureaucratic pyramid that effectively accomplishes nothing except waste our money and produce nothing other than hot air despite all its espousals, there is in reality nothing that this body does that is benefical to public transport as other agencies actually carry out the actual provision of services and are frequently constrained in their service delivery and the standards of those services by Translink.
When I see what they don't do with our money it is enough to make any taxpayer   but then having spent my entire working life in the transport industry public and private I think that I do have a little accumulated experience on which to base my opinions.

[Derwan]

your right murfreight why do we need both translink and queensland transport

TransLink used to be part of Queensland Transport.  Employees still sit on the same payroll system under a different costing structure.  In my opinion, creating an "authority" was simply to satisfy the public's concern over our woeful transport system and make it look like the Government was doing something about it.

[#Metro]

So it is really an authority only in name really? So does the TTA actually exist? I'm getting a bit confused now...

[ozbob]

Media Release 2 September 2009

Queensland:  The future of QR Passenger

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport commuters has called for an explanation from Government as to what is going on with QR Passenger?

Robert Dow, spokesperson for RAIL Back On Track said:

"Yesterday, the Opposition Transport Spokesperson Ms Simpson asked a question in Parliament of the Minister which suggests that a review of QR Passenger is under way by Deloittes (1)."

"A statement by the Opposition then listed a number of future possible outcomes (2)."

"What is going on?  Commuters have noticed ever increasing congestion and overloading on our Citytrains with no relief.  Apparently the funding agreement for 2009/2010 is not in place. It seems that QR Passenger is being kept under some sort of operational restriction and is not being permitted to add any extra services.  Is this linked to this review?"

"There are many questions. Why wasn't there public consultation about these issues before, and will this report be released to the public for comment, and if so when?  Commuters are becoming increasingly concerned with the failure to move forwards with the go card and frequent integrated public transport services. An explanation as to why another expensive review is under way is needed."

References:

1.  http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/view/legislativeAssembly/hansard/documents/2009.pdf/2009_09_01_DAILY.pdf

2.  http://www.fionasimpson.com.au/Pages/Article.aspx?ID=578

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

[ozbob]

Opposition Statement:

25 September 2009

Fiona Simpson MP
Member for Maroochydore
Shadow Minister for Transport and Main Roads

Nolan must come clean on QR Passenger restructure

Transport Minister Rachel Nolan has refused to answer Opposition questions in Parliament this month about Deloitte?s review of Queensland Rail?s Passenger Network in regard to alternative ownership structures.

Despite the Minister?s non reply. We know from industry sources that the review involves the Government looking at options such as:

? Translink taking ownership of QR Passenger
? Leaving QR Passenger as a Government Owned Corporation (GOC)
? A State Authority owning QR passenger; or
? QT taking over QR Passenger

As Translink and QR Passenger are in dispute over about services and payments with no service agreement operational for several months, it is believed this review is being used as a way for Translink to take control of QR Passenger.

[somebody]

Tramtrain asked is Translink that bad? in reality NO! they are far worse than most realise,.

As someone who never saw the pre-Translink days, I tend to agree with mufreight. But they are obviously doing something a LOT better than the pre-Translink days, as they arrested the decline in patronage and it has increased significantly since their formation.  So the question is: why?  Is it the integrated ticketting, or perhaps fares have dropped, or the subsidy has increased.

[#Metro]

PT was just completely shocking pre-Translink.
If your want to find out what was "the cause" or the single measure that gave the biggest boost, then one also has to untangle initiatives such as the BCC's BUZ services which carry a large amount of people.

Complicated, but useful.

[Arnz]

Yes, Lets remove the Post-TransLink integration and lets go back to the old days when there was no integration, private bus operators competing with one another and higher overall fares.  

Bad idea.  If anyone is that dissatisfied with PT, A sensible suggestion is to hand over the control of running of PT statewide (QConnect and TransLink) back to Queensland Transport.

[somebody]

Yes, Lets remove the Post-TransLink integration and lets go back to the old days when there was no integration, private bus operators competing with one another and higher overall fares.  

Bad idea.  If anyone is that dissatisfied with PT, A sensible suggestion is to hand over the control of running of PT statewide (QConnect and TransLink) back to Queensland Transport.

I'm sure we all see the benefits of the integration.

It never ceases to amaze me how cheap PT is in Brisbane.  A 3 zone weekly ticket is only worth $27.20.  A Green TravelPass for Sydney costs $46/week.  Although that is good as far as Epping in the Northwest, that's a bit of an abberation.  Otherwise, I'd say it's roughly equivalent.  It also wasn't possible to get such a ticket for less than a week.

I wouldn't complain at all if tickets besides go-cards were made more expensive.  Otherwise how are they going to recover their costs?

Another parallel to Sydney: In the areas with the single body for co-ordination of the buses, they are significantly better than in other areas.  Having two bodies which must agree is always going to be a problem.