Local residents packed into the Niina Marni Café yesterday (Sunday) to express their concerns about the Marshall Liberal Government’s agenda of cuts, closures and privatisations of public services.
The rally was organised by Local Member of Parliament, Mr Tony Piccolo in response to comments posted by local residents on social media, concerned about the axing of leaner driver testing in Gawler and the pending privatisation of train services and Service SA centres.
The rally was addressed by Gawler Mayor Karen Redman who spoke about the negative impact that the axing of learner driver testing was having on local youth and their families.
Mayor Redman said that as a growing community Gawler needed new and additional services, not the axing of existing public services.
A petition signed by 547 staff and students at Xavier College Gawler objecting to the Marshall Liberal Government’s closure of learner driver testing in Gawler was presented to Mr Piccolo for tabling in State Parliament.
Mr Piccolo said the petition demonstrated how upset local people are at the cuts to basic services in the area.
“These cuts are only made worse by the fact that the Decision was made without any consultation whatsoever,” said Mr Piccolo.
“This Decision means it will cost young people and their families more to obtain their P’s, while driving instructors will incur more costs and loss of income.
“Local people and small businesses are the losers from this Decision.
Darren Phillips, State Secretary of the Rail, Bus and Tram Union warned about the pending cuts to services and security on trains and an increase in fares, once the trains are taken over by a private operator.
Mr Phillips highlighted the failure of train privatisations in Melbourne and London, two services used by the Marshal Liberal Government to justify their privatisation plans. The rally was also addressed by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Peter Malinauskas, who told the rally that right across the metropolitan area people were expressing their concerns about the long-term damage the Marshall Liberal Government’s privatisation agenda was having on the community and economy.
The rally heard from a Pathology SA employee who talked about the affect current cuts to services was having on patient care and how the threat of privatisations was undermining a highly respected pathology service.
She warned how a privatised pathology service could result in delays in obtaining test results with samples likely to be sent interstate and overseas to cut costs and boost profits for the private owners.