NSW Labor will move to establish a Parliamentary inquiry into the taxi industry to investigate the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government’s compensation package for plate holders, including those in Wollongong and the Illawarra.
The NSW Labor initiative, if accepted, will see taxi industry participants, including plate holders and drivers make submissions and provide evidence to the inquiry.
Member for Wollongong, Paul Scully said he had met with the NSW Taxi Council and Wollongong-based plate holders on a number of occasions to discuss the Government’s compensation scheme, which was capped at $20,000 and then taxed by the Federal Government.
“I’ve made representations to the Minister for Transport and Roads, Andrew Constance, on behalf of over 100 plate holders and drivers based in my electorate alone, many of whom said they were totally unaware of the Government’s compensation scheme.
“I placed questions on notice to the Minister several times so we could get some answers about the administration of the Additional Assistance Payment Scheme, which was woefully inadequate.
“The Government even gagged a number of Labor MPs, including me, from speaking on this issue in the Parliament a few weeks ago, when a 10,000 signatory petition was tabled on behalf of taxi plate holders and drivers”, he said.
The Government intends to wait until 2022 to hold an inquiry to consider compensation as part of its Point to Point Transportation legislation.
“The taxi industry is at breaking point right now and the Government should be bringing forward this inquiry, not sticking its head in the sand hoping this situation will go away.
“Taxi plate holders are essential small businesses on wheels, they are going broke and families, including in Wollongong and the Illawarra are suffering because of the Government’s stubbornness.
“NSW Labor is offering the Government bipartisanship in fixing this problem.
“I hope the Government members, including Gareth Ward, Shelley Hancock and Lee Evans, will ask their Legislative Council colleagues in the Liberal Party to vote for NSW Labor’s motion to establish this Parliamentary inquiry”, Mr Scully said.
