Thursday, 18 May 2023

Questions without notice and ministers statements

Public transport ticketing system

Richard RIORDAN (Polwarth) (14:02): My question this afternoon is to the Minister for Public Transport. Is the minister aware that Conduent, which was awarded the $1.7 billion contract to deliver Victoria’s new public transport ticketing system, was part of the consortium who was responsible for developing the now failed Myki system?

Ben CARROLL (Niddrie – Minister for Industry and Innovation, Minister for Manufacturing Sovereignty, Minister for Employment, Minister for Public Transport) (14:02): I am very proud. Last night, with the Deputy Premier and the Minister for Health, we had a great function with the City of Melbourne and the Committee for Melbourne, and I will tell you that one thing that was on everyone’s lips was ‘Well done. Well done getting rid of Myki and bringing in an application for your phone, for your credit card –

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, as much as we are interested in the minister’s diary plans, this question related to a billion-dollar failed error, and I ask you to bring the minister back to that question.

The SPEAKER: I will rule on the point of order. The minister had just commenced his answer. I think we should give him time to reply to the question that was asked.

Ben CARROLL: I will be very clear to you, member for Polwarth. You might be aware that Myki is owned by a company called NTT Data. Are you following? Okay? Yes. Do you know where they are from? You are nodding – good.

The SPEAKER: Order! Through the Chair.

Ben CARROLL: So – through the Chair – you know they are a home-based company. There is another company out there called Conduent, and there are a few other companies too. They are not based in Japan; they are based in New Jersey in the United States.

Richard RIORDAN (Polwarth) (14:04): My supplementary question for the minister, when he has finished eating with his friends, is: Conduent has now admitted that it cannot fulfil its contract to deliver an open payment digital ticketing system in time for the Paris 2024 Olympics. How can Victorians have any confidence that Conduent will not be another Myki disaster?

Ben CARROLL (Niddrie – Minister for Industry and Innovation, Minister for Manufacturing Sovereignty, Minister for Employment, Minister for Public Transport) (14:05): We have every confidence in the new ticketing system that will be employed. Can I also say, as a regional member, you should be embracing what we have announced, because under this new system –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The Leader of the Opposition!

Ben CARROLL: It is not Dickie Knee time, it is not Hey Hey It’s Saturday; it is question time. It will be a statewide solution that will also service your electorate, member for Polwarth.

Richard Riordan: On a point of order, Speaker, the minister was not asked to give a short story about my electorate; I am well familiar with my electorate. He was asked whether Victorians could have confidence in a system that is failing rapidly around the world.

The SPEAKER: Order! A point of order is not an opportunity to repeat the question.

Ben CARROLL: He asked about Paris. You actually fly through, often when you go to Paris, Dubai. You might like to know that Conduent is also in Dubai operating the ticketing system – and in Paris and in Montreal, and they are coming to Melbourne. You will be able to use it on the trams in Hawthorn because you will have more free time, we know, after winter to be on the tram network using the public transport ticketing system.

Members interjecting.

David Southwick: On a point of order, Speaker, the minister is clearly debating the question. I ask you to bring him back to answering the question. It is about the failure in Paris and if we are going to get a Myki 2.0 from Labor, seriously.

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister is being relevant to the question. The minister has concluded his answer.