Page 395 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 19 February 2019
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MRS KIKKERT: Minister, given that a regulatory impact statement or a triple bottom line assessment was never completed, what then informed your decision not to provide compensation or a buy-back scheme?
MR RAMSAY: As has already been indicated by the Chief Minister, there was the report on the evaluation of the reforms that was received in early 2018. That report and its associated analysis are available on the your say website. I am sure that we will be continuing this debate, this conversation, tomorrow in the debate on the substantive motion on this matter that has already been lodged.
The government has undertaken extensive industry and community consultation. It undertook extensive research and analysis prior to the reforms to determine the full range of the potential impacts to stakeholders, noting, of course, that the primary focus of this government is the increased number of people who are using on-demand transport, not only those who are using taxis but also those who are using a whole range rideshare services.
We note that there has been a significant increase. There is a new cohort of people who are using on-demand transport. That has been a key part of our focus. What we will continue to do is a range of ongoing policy work that benefits consumers, those people who are here, the significantly increasing number of people living in the ACT and the substantially increasing number of people who are travelling to the ACT.
We have, as has also been noted in this chamber a number of times, arranged, as this is an industry in transition, for people to receive access to counselling through the Woden Community Service.
MR COE: Minister, what changes to regulations or policies did you make in response to the consultation that you had with taxi owners?
MR RAMSAY: I met with taxi owners on a number of occasions throughout the process as well as meeting with a range of other organisations, a range of other individuals. So too did government more broadly. This was all part of the consideration as we worked through the reforms. I again refer Mr Coe and others to the report on the evaluation that is available on the website.
Mr Coe: On a point of order, on relevance, the question was specifically: what changes to policy or regulations did he make in relation to the consultation? He cited consultation in his response to the first supplementary question. I think it is reasonable that he answer the question.
MADAM SPEAKER: In the time you have left you may want to outline any changes that you made.
MR RAMSAY: I refer to the position that we are in at the moment and the position that we were in beforehand. They are the changes that were made.
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