Media release – CPVV partners with Uber

“In this time, it is the regulator’s responsibility to see the financial devastation experienced in the taxi and hire car industry and respond with compassion, fairness and transparency. Gifting the MPTP to Uber is nothing short of kicking the industry while it’s already on its knees.”

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.

Media release – Held to Account

Held to Account: Parliament holds Taxi Licences are Property!

Rod Barton’s motion to repair the damage caused by the 2017 Commercial Passenger Vehicle reforms, acknowledging the arbitrary payments to licence holders and need for sufficient compensation, has passed in legislative council 19 to 18.

Mr Barton, Transport Matters MP, moved the motion, calling on the government to continue the conversation to fairly compensate former perpetual Taxi and Hire Car licence owners for the revocation of their licences in 2017.

‘Deregulation has caused a glut of commercial passenger vehicles on our roads threatening the viability of the industry and pushing driver exploitation to new heights.’ Mr Barton stated.

Cross bencher, Mr Hayes rose in support of the motion stating Uber should have been prosecuted in 2014 as they were doing the same things as taxis without authority – instead ‘the government let them go…rendering taxi licences worthless’.

This motion recognised that hundreds of perpetual taxi and car hire licences owners were paid a pittance for the revocation of their licences back in 2017. Further, that the arbitrary transition assistance payments they were given were grossly inadequate and unfair.

‘I applaud the Cross Bench and the Opposition for their support. I am pleased that my fellow members agree that as elected representatives we have a social and economic responsibility to adopt a plan to properly compensate and restructure the industry in the interest of fairness and restoring this industry.’

Mr Barton looks forward to bringing a proposal to the Government early next year, which is aimed to repair the past and create a pathway to move forward.

The Liberal Democrats members David Limbrick and Tim Quilty along with the Labor Party rejected the motion.

Quotes attributable to Member for Eastern Metropolitan and the Leader of the Transport Matters Party Rod Barton MP: 

‘Thanks to the Cross Bench and the Opposition for their support and commitment to the Taxi and Hire Car Industry. We now have a chance to heal the damage caused and restore this industry back to its former glory’

ENDS

Media contact: Norm Dunn, Chief of Staff Rod Barton MP, 0438 175 113 Norm.dunn@parliament.vic.gov.au

Media Release – QANTAS lost its way!

I call on the Victorian Minister for Industrial Relations call upon the airline to halt the outsourcing of Victorian jobs and creating an environment of insecure work.

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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Media Release – Project Update: Airport Rail Link Funding Announced – But who will pick up the shortfall?

If the pandemic has taught us one thing, it is that public ownership would reduce the need for the government to step in and subsidise international corporate giants managing public services in a financial downturn

Media Release – New Tax on Electric Vehicles Will Stall Emission Reductions in Transport Sector

The Government should be encouraging the uptake of electric vehicles, not introducing a tax that does the complete opposite.

Media Release – Repair the Past

‘The Commercial Passenger Vehicle reforms have torn through marriages, families and friendships in a way that only profound financial stress, inequality and uncertainty can. The government must step in and release this pressure.’  

Media Release – Free Tram Expansion …. Denied!

The minority report recognises the struggle of our most vulnerable seniors and students; identifies the need to create an accessible and high-capacity tram network; and the benefits the Free Tram Zone creates for tourism, students, seniors, local residents, and our CBD.

Inquiry into expanding Melbourne’s Free Tram Zone – Report

I urge the Andrews Labor government to recognise that it is not the free tram zone that is the problem but an ageing tram network that is poorly managed and lacking accessibility, high-capacity trams and the sufficient collection of data.

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….

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

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

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.

Question – Food Delivery Rider Safety

These incidents are becoming all to frequent, these gig economy delivery companies have a duty of care to ensure their riders are competent as well as equipped with quality helmets, safety jackets and their scooters are in a roadworthy state

The Government might think it’s over…….it’s not!

The implementation of the transition assistance payments and fairness fund failed to address the economic suffering of those in the industry and had inequitable consequences.

Suburban Rail Loop

The Suburban Rail Loop project is an important public transport infrastructure project that will better connect Victoria’s hospitals, universities, and retail industries

Victorian Agriculture

Victorian farmers have had to manage a range of issues around the coronavirus as logistics and supply chains have been disrupted

Taxi Drivers – Fair Pay?

This week, Rod asked the Premier about the treatment of Essential Transport Workers.

Thursday 12th November 2020

Mr BARTON (Eastern Metropolitan) (12:42): My constituency question is for the Premier. Taxi fares in Victoria have not increased since 2014, and there have been a number of reviews. Taxidrivers are essential transport workers, as has been demonstrated during this pandemic. They receive no holiday pay, no sick pay, no superannuation and no maternity leave, and many have been known to work for less than $10 an hour—well below the minimum wage. The Essential Services Commission sets these fares, and it is interesting to note the executives at the Essential Services Commission in the same period have received a pay increase of 24.5 per cent. The information I seek is: what is the justification for this unfair treatment of these essential transport workers?

Parks and Crown Land Legislation Amendment Bill 2019

This Bill proposes significant benefits for the local wildlife—the indigenous flora and fauna—and enables the local community to enjoy, experience and learn about nature in a safe and regulated format.