❓ Question on Notice regarding the Transport (Road Passenger Services) Bill 2018, focusing on taxi industry reform, level playing field for operators, and comparing the government's buyback offer to the Liberal Party's stance. The Minister's answer defends the reforms and criticizes the opposition's inaction.
AnsweredQoN 581Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
TAXIS — TRANSPORT
(ROAD PASSENGER SERVICES) BILL 2018
581. Mr
Y. MUBARAKAI to the Minister for Transport:
On behalf of the member for
Forrestfield and the member for Kalamunda, I acknowledge the presence of the
principals of the Bibbulmun Network in the Speaker's gallery. On behalf
of the member for Mirrabooka, I also acknowledge the presence of Gurjeet Singh
Aujla, who is a member of Parliament for the Lok Sabha constituency of Amritsar
in the Punjab state of India.
I refer to the biggest reform of the
on-demand transport and taxi industry in WA history, an industry that the
Liberal Party neglected for eight and a half years.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how these reforms deliver on the McGowan Labor
government's commitments to creating a level playing field for all
operators?
(2) Can the
minister also outline to the house how the fair and generous buyback offer
compares with the Liberal Party's refusal to support mum-and-dad taxi
plate owners?
(ROAD PASSENGER SERVICES) BILL 2018
581. Mr
Y. MUBARAKAI to the Minister for Transport:
On behalf of the member for
Forrestfield and the member for Kalamunda, I acknowledge the presence of the
principals of the Bibbulmun Network in the Speaker's gallery. On behalf
of the member for Mirrabooka, I also acknowledge the presence of Gurjeet Singh
Aujla, who is a member of Parliament for the Lok Sabha constituency of Amritsar
in the Punjab state of India.
I refer to the biggest reform of the
on-demand transport and taxi industry in WA history, an industry that the
Liberal Party neglected for eight and a half years.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how these reforms deliver on the McGowan Labor
government's commitments to creating a level playing field for all
operators?
(2) Can the
minister also outline to the house how the fair and generous buyback offer
compares with the Liberal Party's refusal to support mum-and-dad taxi
plate owners?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question
and his advocacy for his constituents on this issue.
(1)–(2) Earlier
today I introduced the Transport (Road Passenger Services) Bill 2018 and
associated amendment bill. This represents the biggest reform of the taxi
industry in the state's history. Once passed, the bill aims to create
that level playing field to give a sustainable future to taxi and on-demand
services throughout WA and in particular through the Perth metropolitan area.
As part of that, this government worked on and developed a voluntary buyback
scheme. The member for Armadale, Dr Tony Buti, did a lot of work with the taxi
industry to get the proposal before us. I understand that this is hard. I understand
that this is challenging and that not everyone will be happy with the proposal.
However, I urge Parliament, and I urge the Liberal Party and the National
Party, to work with the government to get these reforms through. Without these
reforms, the industry will be decimated. There will be no sustainable future.
These reforms are balanced, pragmatic and financially responsible. That is what
we want to deliver.
Members on the opposite side, the
ones who ignored the taxi industry for years, now go on radio and talk about
buyback offers that they never gave the opportunity to do. They still do not
have a position. They created the problem and today when asked on radio —
Dr D.J. Honey : Uber.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : What did the
member say?
Dr D.J. Honey : Uber.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Uber—that
is pretty much it. The member for Scarborough is out there trying to be a new
friend for some members of that taxi industry. When asked whether she supports
a buyback, what did she say today? She said that they have not formed a position
yet. When we had this debate —
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Scarborough!
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : The Liberal
Party does not have a position on this yet. Five years after the issue started,
it still does not have a position.
Mr D.C. Nalder interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Bateman, I call you to order for the first time.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : According to
my notes, the question was ''Is it the Liberal Party's position
or is it your position that taxi plate owners do deserve to be compensated?''
The member for Scarborough said, ''We do not have a position on that.''
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Scarborough, I call you to order for the second time
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : The Leader of
the Opposition said, ''We promised them nothing.'' He was proud
of that. I know that this is a challenging time for many people in the industry,
but —
Mrs L.M. Harvey : What did you
promise them?
The SPEAKER : I call you to
order for the third time, member for Scarborough. You just do not learn.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Fostering
division and poison in the community, member for Scarborough, is not the right
thing to do. Two days ago, the member for Armadale received an awful death
threat in his mailbox. Yesterday, my eight-year-old daughter went to the
mailbox and got a card, which she thought was a sympathy card for my dad's
death; she opened it to find a death threat to our entire family. That is not
good enough in this community. To every member of the taxi industry who thinks
that the Liberal Party is their friend, it is not their friend. They should
work with the government to get this package of reform through.
and his advocacy for his constituents on this issue.
(1)–(2) Earlier
today I introduced the Transport (Road Passenger Services) Bill 2018 and
associated amendment bill. This represents the biggest reform of the taxi
industry in the state's history. Once passed, the bill aims to create
that level playing field to give a sustainable future to taxi and on-demand
services throughout WA and in particular through the Perth metropolitan area.
As part of that, this government worked on and developed a voluntary buyback
scheme. The member for Armadale, Dr Tony Buti, did a lot of work with the taxi
industry to get the proposal before us. I understand that this is hard. I understand
that this is challenging and that not everyone will be happy with the proposal.
However, I urge Parliament, and I urge the Liberal Party and the National
Party, to work with the government to get these reforms through. Without these
reforms, the industry will be decimated. There will be no sustainable future.
These reforms are balanced, pragmatic and financially responsible. That is what
we want to deliver.
Members on the opposite side, the
ones who ignored the taxi industry for years, now go on radio and talk about
buyback offers that they never gave the opportunity to do. They still do not
have a position. They created the problem and today when asked on radio —
Dr D.J. Honey : Uber.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : What did the
member say?
Dr D.J. Honey : Uber.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Uber—that
is pretty much it. The member for Scarborough is out there trying to be a new
friend for some members of that taxi industry. When asked whether she supports
a buyback, what did she say today? She said that they have not formed a position
yet. When we had this debate —
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Scarborough!
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : The Liberal
Party does not have a position on this yet. Five years after the issue started,
it still does not have a position.
Mr D.C. Nalder interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Bateman, I call you to order for the first time.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : According to
my notes, the question was ''Is it the Liberal Party's position
or is it your position that taxi plate owners do deserve to be compensated?''
The member for Scarborough said, ''We do not have a position on that.''
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Scarborough, I call you to order for the second time
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : The Leader of
the Opposition said, ''We promised them nothing.'' He was proud
of that. I know that this is a challenging time for many people in the industry,
but —
Mrs L.M. Harvey : What did you
promise them?
The SPEAKER : I call you to
order for the third time, member for Scarborough. You just do not learn.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Fostering
division and poison in the community, member for Scarborough, is not the right
thing to do. Two days ago, the member for Armadale received an awful death
threat in his mailbox. Yesterday, my eight-year-old daughter went to the
mailbox and got a card, which she thought was a sympathy card for my dad's
death; she opened it to find a death threat to our entire family. That is not
good enough in this community. To every member of the taxi industry who thinks
that the Liberal Party is their friend, it is not their friend. They should
work with the government to get this package of reform through.
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