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Passenger Transport Amendment (Taxi Licensing) Bill 2009 |
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Tuesday, 10 November 2009 |
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Mr MIKE BAIRD (Manly) [10.40 p.m.]: I support the many comments and concerns that have been raised by members on this side House on this bill. I particularly support the handling of this issue by the shadow Minister and the pertinent arguments she has raised on behalf of the Opposition referring to the upper House committee. This State is in need of reform. The reform to the taxi industry, by increasing supply and lowering the cost of entry, is a positive development but I must place on record that I find it is incredible to observe this process. Legislation has been brought before us without the Government having determined how it is going to protect those with current plates or transition them to the new regime. I do not know how any government can be run that way. There may well be people around this Parliament or down at Governor Macquarie Tower—I do not know where they are—trying to work out how to transition existing plate owners to a new regime without having it finalised before the legislation is enacted.
The incredible proposition that the Government is attempting reform without having done the hard work of negotiating with the industry on such a fundamental change is completely beyond me. Clearly, the Government is not going about the process in the right way. Certainly the nexus of reform makes sense, with increased supply and lower entry cost, and the need for more taxis is more than sufficient reason for an upper House inquiry. I support those tenets. The Government has a moral and economic obligation to look after those who have made significant capital investments under an existing regime without giving them any signal about change. Such a signal would be normal in a transitional arrangement, informing the market that there will be a change. But it is not acceptable that the Government allows plate purchases in a very short timeframe but then changes the game plan and rules.
I support an upper House inquiry. I agree with the member for Wakehurst that there is a problem getting taxis on the northern beaches on Friday and Saturday nights. How those plates will be allocated and to which regions should also be considered in the upper House inquiry because the issuing of plates should favour those areas where there is demand and critical shortages. As I have said, I support the shadow Minister and the previous Opposition speakers on this bill.
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