Wednesday, 11 July 2018

PEULICH: Labor Throws Taxi Drivers Under the Bus

Member for the South Eastern Metropolitan Region, Inga Peulich MLC is outraged that after two years, little has
been done to aide Victoria’s taxi drivers following the major drop in license value.

This solemn situation has only worsened since the Andrews’ Labor Government bungled the management of its
$50 million “fairness fund.”

The fund was supposed to help taxi drivers that were impacted by the drop in taxi licenses, but Labors
bureaucracy nightmare has only delayed fixing the problem.

Ombudsman Deborah Glass, started conducting an investigation into the Fairness Fund last year upon receiving
numerous complaints and what she discovered was shocking.

The Ombudsman found that the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources grossly
underestimated the number of applicants that would apply to the program; leaving many uncertain of their
future.

The pitiful execution of this fund, resulted in applications taking double the expected time to process. This
resulted in some applicants waiting month after month for approval only to find that their application wasn’t
accepted.

“The department’s poor communication, compounded by delay, was unreasonable and would have exacerbated
the distress already felt by people who believed the government had taken away their livelihood or life savings,”
Ms. Glass said.

Worse yet, the bloated Andrews Labor Government has defended its irresponsible, careless and negligent
handling of the situation. It’s failure has caused those in the taxi industry and their families immense distress,
and Daniel Andrews has simply brushed off their concerns.

It is clear that Daniel Andrews and the whole Labor party are unconcerned with extreme stress that these most
devastating actions are having on the taxi industry and working families.

Comments attributable to Inga Peulich MLC:

“This ‘Fairness’ Fund is just the latest example of the Andrews Labor’s governments pretentious disdain toward
our taxi industry and working families.”

“The Andrews Labor Government is responsible for cutting off license owner’s income and transition payments
that are too small, people are left high and dry and suffering extreme financial and emotional stress’.”

“This November Victorians should vote to replace this inept Labor regime with a Liberal-National Coalition who
will support our taxi industry and its hard working families.