Constituency Question – 10 December 2020
Minister, how many fines have been issued by the regulator to enforce this law in the last 12 months, and does the minister have confidence in the regulator’s plan to stop all the illegal activity?
QANTAS lost its way!
Despite our support for Qantas, it is letting down its workers when they need it most. This is not the spirit of Australia, and I condemn Qantas for these actions.
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.
State Taxation Acts Amendment Bill 2020
Over the past few weeks we have heard over and over again that this budget is the dressing for Victoria’s wounds, that it is the force that will drive all Victorians onwards and upwards out of this pandemic. We all hope so.
QWN – Cameras in Commercial Passenger Vehicles
Tuesday 8th December 2020
Today Rod asked if it was now time to have cameras in Rideshare vehicles for the safety of drivers and their passengers.
Mr BARTON (Eastern Metropolitan) (11:26): My question today is for Minister Pulford representing the Minister for Public Transport, Ben Carroll. The gig is up. The taxi company known as Uber is just that—just another taxi company. Recent media reports have shown violence committed against their drivers, and there have been difficulties in pursuing charges against these people who have assaulted these drivers. My question, Minister, is: is it not time, for the protection of not only drivers but also the travelling public, that all rideshare vehicles should have cameras fitted?
Ms PULFORD (Western Victoria—Minister for Employment, Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy, Minister for Small Business) (11:27): I thank Mr Barton for his question and his ongoing interest in this industry, and I will seek a written response from Mr Carroll for him.
Cameras in Commercial Passenger Vehicles
Today Rod asked if it was now time to have cameras in Rideshare vehicles for the safety of drivers and their passengers.
Mr BARTON (Eastern Metropolitan) (11:27): Thank you, Minister. Whilst we address the issue of cameras in commercial passenger vehicles, is it not now time for Victoria to fall in line with other jurisdictions in Australia and have cameras with sound and vision recorded to protect drivers and the travelling public?
Ms PULFORD (Western Victoria—Minister for Employment, Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy, Minister for Small Business) (11:28): Again, I will take the opportunity to take that question on notice for Minister Carroll, who will provide a written response.
Music lessons in Schools
My constituency question today is for Minister Education.
Anastasia a year 10 student in my electorate contacted my staff to ask, why at present, the Dept. Education and Training restrictions on woodwind, brass and singing, limits school classes to five students per space indoors and 2 metres apart. These restrictions make group music lessons simply infeasible.
I believe this is at odds with the restrictions on other close contact activities such as school camps and contact sports, which have been allowed to go ahead.
Music is an important aspect of education that provides immense benefits for student’s development.
It is so important that we prioritise keeping students engaged and feeling positive amidst the huge challenges of this pandemic. Enabling music lessons will contribute to doing just that.
So the information I seek, what is the COVID safe plan which will facilitate the full return of music education?
CQ Music 26Nov2020
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Streamlined application for driver accreditation
Rod asked the government to step in and ensure an efficient and streamlined application process for driver accreditation by the CPPV is implemented in the interest of fairness.
Asking for justice: repair the suffering, pain and loss caused by the 2017 reforms.
Asking for Justice…Rod moved for the government to acknowledge that taxi licences were valuable items of property and to repair the damage of past reforms.
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….