Page 399 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 19 February 2019
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
MR RAMSAY: Again, I note that for people who are affected through this transition there is support that is being provided. I refer them to that.
MISS C BURCH: Minister, what will you do, as minister for seniors, for the dozens of senior Canberrans who saved for their retirements by investing in the ACT transport industry?
MR RAMSAY: Again, echoing the words of the Chief Minister earlier on, it is not the position of the ACT government to be guaranteeing any particular investment. It is certainly not our position to do that. I refer people to the Woden Community Service.
Taxis—government assistance
MRS DUNNE: My question is to the Minister for Justice, Consumer Affairs and Road Safety. Minister, for decades the ACT government has encouraged private investment in the ACT taxi sector, with auctions and the direct sale of perpetual plates. Has the ACT government misled Canberrans who own taxis, like Ibrahim and Sok, who have acted in good faith by investing in this government’s regulated industry?
MR RATTENBURY: I do not believe so. I believe that this industry has been in a state of flux for some considerable period of time. As the Chief Minister has outlined, the ACT government has not released a perpetual plate since 1995. Since that time there has been a steady number of reviews, regulatory reform considerations and the like, as well as external forces well beyond the control of the government, that have reshaped this industry. I think that owners and potential investors have had a series of points of information and external reference points to consider in weighing up their investment options.
MRS DUNNE: Minister, why did you support the government implementation of these substantial changes, which had a potential social and economic impact on people like Bobby, David and William and which may amount to tens of millions of dollars to that community, without ensuring that there was a proper cabinet process involved?
MR RATTENBURY: I think the very premise of Mrs Dunne’s question is not the case. As outlined earlier by both the Chief Minister and the Attorney-General, there have been extensive reviews, there have been economic papers commissioned by the government and the matters did go before cabinet in the normal way.
MISS C BURCH: Minister, what do you say to the dozens of Canberrans who have lost more than 75 per cent of their retirement income as a result of this ACT government’s policies?
MR RATTENBURY: I can say that the government is giving careful consideration to the competing interests here. We need to ensure that we deal with the changing shape of the on-demand transport industry; we need to ensure that we deal with the needs of consumers, particularly with the significant increase in both the population of
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video