❓ Mr. Birney questions the Minister about discrepancies in legislation affecting country taxi owners' ability to secure loans against their plates. The Minister acknowledges the issue, expresses sympathy, and commits to industry consultation before potential legislative amendments.
AnsweredQoN 258Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
TAXI OWNERS LEGISLATION 258. Mr BIRNEY to the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure: (1) Given that country taxi owners cannot borrow money against their taxi plates due to a discrepancy between country and city legislation, does the minister plan to bring country taxi owners under the same Act as city taxi owners to provide a secure form of tenure for their plates? (2) If so, when will that happen? Ms MacTIERNAN
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(2) This is an interesting issue for country taxi drivers, whom the Government has met with on this issue. The problem is that country taxi drivers do not have the same protection and benefits that have been provided to city taxi drivers under the Taxi Act 1994. Country taxi owners were apparently deceived by the previous Government, which told them that legislation was prepared and would be introduced into Parliament any day. Alas, this was another misrepresentation by the previous Government. This Government has told those drivers that it is sympathetic to the issues that have been raised and agrees that country taxi drivers should be brought under general taxi legislation. The Government must obviously ensure that the entire industry is happy with that. The Government has received representations from the country taxi association. It now wants to discuss the issue more broadly and make sure that all consequences of incorporating country taxi drivers in the Taxi Act are understood and that those drivers are prepared to accept the obligations as well as the rights that might accrue from being part of that legislation. The Government will amend the legislation if there is a desire within the industry for that change. It is unfortunate that the previous Government made some misleading statements to those taxi operators.
TAXI OWNERS LEGISLATION
(1) Given that country taxi owners cannot borrow money against their taxi plates due to a discrepancy between country and city legislation, does the minister plan to bring country taxi owners under the same Act as city taxi owners to provide a secure form of tenure for their plates? (2) If so, when will that happen? Ms MacTIERNAN replied: (1)-(2) This is an interesting issue for country taxi drivers, whom the Government has met with on this issue. The problem is that country taxi drivers do not have the same protection and benefits that have been provided to city taxi drivers under the Taxi Act 1994. Country taxi owners were apparently deceived by the previous Government, which told them that legislation was prepared and would be introduced into Parliament any day. Alas, this was another misrepresentation by the previous Government. This Government has told those drivers that it is sympathetic to the issues that have been raised and agrees that country taxi drivers should be brought under general taxi legislation. The Government must obviously ensure that the entire industry is happy with that. The Government has received representations from the country taxi association. It now wants to discuss the issue more broadly and make sure that all consequences of incorporating country taxi drivers in the Taxi Act are understood and that those drivers are prepared to accept the obligations as well as the rights that might accrue from being part of that legislation. The Government will amend the legislation if there is a desire within the industry for that change. It is unfortunate that the previous Government made some misleading statements to those taxi operators.
(2) If so, when will that happen? Ms MacTIERNAN replied: (1)-(2) This is an interesting issue for country taxi drivers, whom the Government has met with on this issue. The problem is that country taxi drivers do not have the same protection and benefits that have been provided to city taxi drivers under the Taxi Act 1994. Country taxi owners were apparently deceived by the previous Government, which told them that legislation was prepared and would be introduced into Parliament any day. Alas, this was another misrepresentation by the previous Government. This Government has told those drivers that it is sympathetic to the issues that have been raised and agrees that country taxi drivers should be brought under general taxi legislation. The Government must obviously ensure that the entire industry is happy with that. The Government has received representations from the country taxi association. It now wants to discuss the issue more broadly and make sure that all consequences of incorporating country taxi drivers in the Taxi Act are understood and that those drivers are prepared to accept the obligations as well as the rights that might accrue from being part of that legislation. The Government will amend the legislation if there is a desire within the industry for that change. It is unfortunate that the previous Government made some misleading statements to those taxi operators.
Ms MacTIERNAN replied: (1)-(2) This is an interesting issue for country taxi drivers, whom the Government has met with on this issue. The problem is that country taxi drivers do not have the same protection and benefits that have been provided to city taxi drivers under the Taxi Act 1994. Country taxi owners were apparently deceived by the previous Government, which told them that legislation was prepared and would be introduced into Parliament any day. Alas, this was another misrepresentation by the previous Government. This Government has told those drivers that it is sympathetic to the issues that have been raised and agrees that country taxi drivers should be brought under general taxi legislation. The Government must obviously ensure that the entire industry is happy with that. The Government has received representations from the country taxi association. It now wants to discuss the issue more broadly and make sure that all consequences of incorporating country taxi drivers in the Taxi Act are understood and that those drivers are prepared to accept the obligations as well as the rights that might accrue from being part of that legislation. The Government will amend the legislation if there is a desire within the industry for that change. It is unfortunate that the previous Government made some misleading statements to those taxi operators.
(1)-(2) This is an interesting issue for country taxi drivers, whom the Government has met with on this issue. The problem is that country taxi drivers do not have the same protection and benefits that have been provided to city taxi drivers under the Taxi Act 1994. Country taxi owners were apparently deceived by the previous Government, which told them that legislation was prepared and would be introduced into Parliament any day. Alas, this was another misrepresentation by the previous Government. This Government has told those drivers that it is sympathetic to the issues that have been raised and agrees that country taxi drivers should be brought under general taxi legislation. The Government must obviously ensure that the entire industry is happy with that. The Government has received representations from the country taxi association. It now wants to discuss the issue more broadly and make sure that all consequences of incorporating country taxi drivers in the Taxi Act are understood and that those drivers are prepared to accept the obligations as well as the rights that might accrue from being part of that legislation. The Government will amend the legislation if there is a desire within the industry for that change. It is unfortunate that the previous Government made some misleading statements to those taxi operators.
TAXI OWNERS LEGISLATION
(1) Given that country taxi owners cannot borrow money against their taxi plates due to a discrepancy between country and city legislation, does the minister plan to bring country taxi owners under the same Act as city taxi owners to provide a secure form of tenure for their plates? (2) If so, when will that happen? Ms MacTIERNAN replied: (1)-(2) This is an interesting issue for country taxi drivers, whom the Government has met with on this issue. The problem is that country taxi drivers do not have the same protection and benefits that have been provided to city taxi drivers under the Taxi Act 1994. Country taxi owners were apparently deceived by the previous Government, which told them that legislation was prepared and would be introduced into Parliament any day. Alas, this was another misrepresentation by the previous Government. This Government has told those drivers that it is sympathetic to the issues that have been raised and agrees that country taxi drivers should be brought under general taxi legislation. The Government must obviously ensure that the entire industry is happy with that. The Government has received representations from the country taxi association. It now wants to discuss the issue more broadly and make sure that all consequences of incorporating country taxi drivers in the Taxi Act are understood and that those drivers are prepared to accept the obligations as well as the rights that might accrue from being part of that legislation. The Government will amend the legislation if there is a desire within the industry for that change. It is unfortunate that the previous Government made some misleading statements to those taxi operators.
(2) If so, when will that happen? Ms MacTIERNAN replied: (1)-(2) This is an interesting issue for country taxi drivers, whom the Government has met with on this issue. The problem is that country taxi drivers do not have the same protection and benefits that have been provided to city taxi drivers under the Taxi Act 1994. Country taxi owners were apparently deceived by the previous Government, which told them that legislation was prepared and would be introduced into Parliament any day. Alas, this was another misrepresentation by the previous Government. This Government has told those drivers that it is sympathetic to the issues that have been raised and agrees that country taxi drivers should be brought under general taxi legislation. The Government must obviously ensure that the entire industry is happy with that. The Government has received representations from the country taxi association. It now wants to discuss the issue more broadly and make sure that all consequences of incorporating country taxi drivers in the Taxi Act are understood and that those drivers are prepared to accept the obligations as well as the rights that might accrue from being part of that legislation. The Government will amend the legislation if there is a desire within the industry for that change. It is unfortunate that the previous Government made some misleading statements to those taxi operators.
Ms MacTIERNAN replied: (1)-(2) This is an interesting issue for country taxi drivers, whom the Government has met with on this issue. The problem is that country taxi drivers do not have the same protection and benefits that have been provided to city taxi drivers under the Taxi Act 1994. Country taxi owners were apparently deceived by the previous Government, which told them that legislation was prepared and would be introduced into Parliament any day. Alas, this was another misrepresentation by the previous Government. This Government has told those drivers that it is sympathetic to the issues that have been raised and agrees that country taxi drivers should be brought under general taxi legislation. The Government must obviously ensure that the entire industry is happy with that. The Government has received representations from the country taxi association. It now wants to discuss the issue more broadly and make sure that all consequences of incorporating country taxi drivers in the Taxi Act are understood and that those drivers are prepared to accept the obligations as well as the rights that might accrue from being part of that legislation. The Government will amend the legislation if there is a desire within the industry for that change. It is unfortunate that the previous Government made some misleading statements to those taxi operators.
(1)-(2) This is an interesting issue for country taxi drivers, whom the Government has met with on this issue. The problem is that country taxi drivers do not have the same protection and benefits that have been provided to city taxi drivers under the Taxi Act 1994. Country taxi owners were apparently deceived by the previous Government, which told them that legislation was prepared and would be introduced into Parliament any day. Alas, this was another misrepresentation by the previous Government. This Government has told those drivers that it is sympathetic to the issues that have been raised and agrees that country taxi drivers should be brought under general taxi legislation. The Government must obviously ensure that the entire industry is happy with that. The Government has received representations from the country taxi association. It now wants to discuss the issue more broadly and make sure that all consequences of incorporating country taxi drivers in the Taxi Act are understood and that those drivers are prepared to accept the obligations as well as the rights that might accrue from being part of that legislation. The Government will amend the legislation if there is a desire within the industry for that change. It is unfortunate that the previous Government made some misleading statements to those taxi operators.
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