Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 11 Hansard (30 November) . . Page.. 3487 ..

MR HARGREAVES (continuing):

disagrees. When we have a government that prefers to bury its head in the sand, you have to resort to taking other action.

I believe the best vehicle through which the hire care industry can have their views heard is the Standing Committee on Planning and Urban Services. The members of the hire car industry can put their case to the committee and the committee can report to the Assembly. The government is not listening, but the majority of the Assembly must. I urge the government to listen to the community. They want time and they want to be consulted.

I strongly urge the government to delay taking any action that involves the hire car industry. After all, we are talking about people's livelihoods. It is not something that should be done in the space of four weeks. I ask members to support the motion.

I ask for leave to table the following paper:

Leave granted.

MR HARGREAVES: I table the paper.

MR SMYTH (Minister for Urban Services) (11.21): The government has no difficulty with the motion. The Assembly can always refer something to a standing committee, and it would be appropriate for this matter to go to the Planning and Urban Services Committee. But it is important to clarify some of what Mr Hargreaves has said. He quoted selectively from a very complex and detailed report, as the Labor Party does more and more often these days.

The public review of the taxi and hire car industry in the ACT was commissioned last year to meet the government's commitment to the national competition principles agreement which was signed by all the states and territories in 1995. Under that agreement the government is committed to review all legislation that potentially restricts competition. Legislation should not restrict competition unless the benefits to the community of the restriction outweigh the costs and the objectives of the legislation can only be achieved by restricting competition.

In response to the review's findings, the government has announced many decisions in relation to the taxi industry as well as the hire car industry. Mr Hargreaves' motion simply dismisses the changes we have made to the taxi industry.

In the taxi industry competition will be addressed by new networks and improved cross-border arrangements with Queanbeyan and New South Wales taxi systems. As well as that, an additional 10 WATS plates will be released. Improving access for those in wheelchairs is very important. The government said that it would meet a 10 per cent requirement. The additional plates will take it past 10 per cent. I am surprised at Mr Hargreaves dismissing the reforms to the taxi industry as being non-existent.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .