Inquiry into Homelessness in Victoria – Report
I hope that the government takes this report seriously and uses this opportunity to improve the lives of vulnerable Victorians.
Rod wins important vote for taxi and hire car industry
Today in Parliament Rod delivered his rebuttal stating that the pain and financial devastation that Taxi and Car Hire licence holders have endured.
Members Statement
Today I would like to express my gratitude to the wonderful members that helped get the Transport Matters Party re-registered only last week. It is only with your support that I can stand here today fighting on your behalf.
Members Statement – Reflection
Mr BARTON (Eastern Metropolitan) (10:00): Last Friday I was having a moment of reflection, asking myself many questions after many weeks of personal abuse and asking myself: why am I here? Through that process I was wondering why I am not sitting on a Western Australian beach camped with my dog in my caravan with the bride. Why am I being here? But late in that day I received a text message and I thought, ‘Why won’t they leave me alone?’. But it was a very important text message. It was from a mother called Janet, mother of Alexia. She sent me a copy of a birth certificate. They were so excited because it was an amended birth certificate, something that we did in this Parliament a while ago. That made an old bloke cry, it made me stop thinking about a beach in Western Australia. I want to reflect: I am glad we do this sort of stuff.
Members Statement
A reflection….
Motion – Repairing the Past
Today Rod read in his motion which he will debate in the Upper House tomorrow afternoon.
Notice of Motion 24th November 2020
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I give notice that, on the next day of meeting, I will move —
That this House —
- acknowledges that —
- in 1998, the High Court of Australia determined that a taxi licence was a valuable item of property;
- since the commencement of the Commercial Passenger Vehicle Industry Act 2017, the revocation of perpetual Victorian taxi and hire car licences amounted to a compulsory government asset acquisition;
- the revocation of perpetual Victorian taxi and hire car licences for a fraction of their worth constitutes as a breach of the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006;
- arbitrary transition assistance payments in lieu of some, but not all, perpetual Victorian taxi and hire car licences was grossly inadequate and unfair;
- the deregulation of the industry in 2017 has —
- created a glut of commercial passenger vehicles on our roads;
- reduced driver income to well below minimum wage;
- threatened the economic viability of the industry;
- caused worsening traffic congestion;
- calls on the Andrews Government to —
(a) accept a financial proposal to properly compensate the industry for the compulsory asset acquisition of all perpetual Victorian taxi and hire car licences;
(b) make adjustments to the commercial passenger vehicle industry structure to better balance market components and end driver exploitation; and
(c) support a recovery plan to build back and move the commercial passenger vehicle industry forward through COVID-19.
Congratulations Rod!
Congratulations from Maurice Blackburn Lawyers on all your efforts to give greater choice to Victorians who pursue their legal rights via a class action by passing the Justice Legislation Miscellaneous Amendments Bill 2019.
TAX IMPLICATIONS ON FAIRNESS FUND PAYMENTS
Our team has worked with affected individuals and the ATO for more than a year. We recently received notice that yet another one of our members has received a tax refund and in this case it amounts to $90,000!
More time for gathering space to make plans
In February I asked Minister Jennings to support the Mullum Mullum Gathering Space in Ringwood, and we are pleased to hear they have secured a license to stay in their property until the end of the year and are in the process of developing a feasibility study to explore the options of staying in their current location or moving to new premises.