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.
ADJOURNMENT – Increase maximum cap on taxi prices
This week I asked the Minister for Public Transport to give cabbies a pay rise and increase the maximum cap set by the Essential Services Commission on taxi fares.
Fairness matters for taxi industry says Barton
The commercial passenger vehicle industry is in a mess and it’s time the Government did “the right thing” to make it safe and viable again and this week I took the opportunity of the debate on an fishing licence compensation bill and emergency service superannuation legislation to remind the Government that it’s never too late to do the right thing, and point out the damage it has done to the taxi and hire car industry and the importance of fairness across industries.
Fair superannuation benefits – Superannuation Legislation Amendment Bill 2019
I spoke in support of our Emergency Service Workers and the benefits provided by the Superannuation Amendment Bill 2019, but reminded the Government that their taxi reforms in 2017 have stripped the taxi industry of its superannuation.
Barton calls for fair price increase on taxi fares
Transport Matters Party leader Rod Barton has called for an increase in the maximum regulated taxi fares of 10 percent immediately with annual CPI increases in the future.
“These Victorian public transport drivers are slugged with increasing costs on all sides and no way of improving their working conditions.”
Owner Drivers and Forestry Contractors Amendment Bill 2019
I spoke in support this bill because it will ensure owner-drivers and forestry contractors will no longer be so vulnerable to exploitation or forced into unsafe practices by economic pressures down the supply chain.
Submissions close on CPV reform inquiry
Submissions to the Economy and Infrastructure Committee closed last week with over 150 submissions received, largely from small business owners who have faced extreme financial and personal hardship following the reforms in August 2017.