Page 3981 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 5 December 2007
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
MR BARR (Molonglo—Minister for Education and Training, Minister for Planning, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Minister for Industrial Relations) (4.15): I am very pleased to rise in support of my colleague Mr Hargreaves and to express my confidence, the confidence of the government and the confidence of the people of Brindabella and of Canberra in the minister. In particular, I will highlight the series of significant achievements that Minister Hargreaves has had stewardship of, and refer to his long contribution to the people of Brindabella through his service in this place as a member and also as a minister.
In looking at the list that Mr Pratt has put forward as an alleged litany of failures, and having heard two speeches from opposition members, what we have seen is an entire lack of policy substance. A couple of random issues have been picked on. We had the tabling of some photos of graffiti on private property as some major case that should cause the minister to resign.
I look at the list and I am drawn to the issue of taxis. That is where the policy hypocrisy of the Liberal Party is at its utmost. I look across the chamber and see a former shadow transport spokesperson—someone who has used her time in this place to obstruct significant reform in the taxi industry. I take this opportunity to pay tribute to Minister Hargreaves for his dedication in moving away from a failed system of allocation of taxi licences and looking towards leasing licences, the creation of a demand-responsive transport system in the ACT, and a range of reforms. And I take the opportunity—
Mrs Dunne: You haven’t done a thing about demand-responsive—
Mr TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Gentleman): Order, Mrs Dunne!
Mrs Dunne: You said it was not your job.
MR TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER: Mrs Dunne!
MR BARR: I take the opportunity again—
Mrs Dunne: You said it was the job of the market.
MR TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Mrs Dunne, I have called you to order twice. Please stop interjecting.
MR BARR: I take the opportunity in particular to highlight the minister’s responsibility for reform of the hire car industry and his long-held and passionate belief in the need for reform and the need for adequate compensation in achieving that reform. The minister achieved a very positive policy outcome in the transport area. He has backed that up through further reforms to the taxi industry in the ACT, to remove some of the restrictive practices that led to the industry being in the dire situation that it was in.
This minister, through a series of consultations and intelligent reforms, has responded and has created a legislative structure that enables growth and competition in the taxi
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .