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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 3 Hansard (28 March) . . Page.. 795 ..

MR DE DOMENICO: I am aware that Mr Whitecross made some comments on the radio; but I do not listen to the radio at lunchtime, so I did not hear him. I am glad that the honourable member asked me what the Government is doing about the taxi industry, because, as members would be aware, the Auditor-General recently released a report into the 1995 taxi plate auction. I am pleased to announce that the findings of this report confirm that the selection of the auctioneer was fair and unbiased and that the selection process was not influenced by either Mr Hird or me. That is one thing the Auditor-General said.

Mr Berry: But the documentary evidence was a bit light on, was it not?

MR SPEAKER: If Mr Berry keeps interjecting, his seat will be for hire, like some taxis around the place. Continue, Mr De Domenico.

MR DE DOMENICO: Thank you, Mr Speaker. The Government is pleased to receive this complete vindication of the probity of the process followed.

Turning to Mr Whitecross's comments today, members should be aware that the Auditor-General also noted that the decision to release 15 taxi plates was made on the comprehensive and accurate information and recommendations available. The documentation identified that the objective in issuing the high number of plates in comparison with previous years was to increase availability of taxis to the community, not the generation of income. For once, the ACT community has been put first. The Government notes that the price paid for taxi plates at the 1995 auction fell, in comparison to the price in previous years. Of course, this was to be expected, given the larger number of plates released. This brings the price of ACT taxi plates more into line with current values in other major cities.

Members will also be aware that a range of questions relating to the taxi industry has been referred to the Assembly Committee on Economic Development and Tourism. I am sure that that committee will also take into account the findings of the Auditor-General when making recommendations to this Assembly. The Government itself is undertaking a review of the taxi and hire car industry and will be taking into account the committee's recommendations, the Auditor-General's report and, of course, the views of all stakeholders.

The Government recognises that the public transport industry is a sector requiring some reform. However, unlike those opposite when they were in government, we will not put this matter in the too-hard basket; rather, we will be working to achieve sensible changes to the existing regulatory regime rather than unconstrained deregulation. The changes that we will put into place will ensure increased efficiency of the industry for the benefit of both the consumers and the operators and will increase the range of services available to meet community needs. Whilst Mr Whitecross spends his time sniping to the media, this Government is doing something to ensure that Canberrans are put first.

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