Community
5 November, 2021
Time for Queenland Government to stop driving taxi licence owners into the ground
FEDERAL Member for Kennedy, Bob Katter and PHON leader, Senator for Queensland, Pauline Hanson have joined forces to call on Transport Minister Mark Bailey to show some fairness and compassion and compensate devastated Queensland taxi licence owners after the court ordered the State must mediate with licence owners.
MR KATTER said, “This ALP Queensland Government has allowed a foreign multinational to come into the market by breaking the law, erode worker pay and conditions and ruin the lives of thousands of Queensland families.
“What’s to stop the Government just ignoring its own legislation and regulation again, (like it did with taxis) - and undermine our pharmacies, the building industry or pubs and clubs?“
Ms Hanson said, “This is not about rideshare, this is about mum and dad, Queensland small-business owners who have lost everything.
“These families invested in good faith under decades of government regulation and policy and now the Queensland government are turning their backs on these families. It doesn’t pass the pub test,” said Ms Hanson.
Peter Broadbridge joined Ms Hanson and Mr Katter to tell how the loss in licence values have impacted his family.
Peter is a Navy veteran who suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and has been classified as ‘Totally and Permanently Incapacitated’. His daughter has significant, ongoing mental health needs. This has led Peter and his wife Susan to leave their hometown of Cairns to move to Brisbane and provide care for their daughter. Susan is now a fulltime carer for Peter and their daughter.
“We bought our licence as part of our self-funded superannuation plan,” said Peter.
“We paid $320,000 for our licence in 1999 in Cairns. Just prior to ride share, licences in Cairns were worth over $600,000. Today you cannot sell the licence.
“We moved to Brisbane to care for our daughter, and we still have a $460,000 mortgage.
“It costs our family, out of pocket, around $40,000 each year to provide care for our daughter,” said Peter. “The taxi licence was an investment that we could use to help pay for our retirement and assist in providing care for our daughter.
“Instead, we are in financial hardship trying to care for our daughter and pay the bills.
Susan is a fulltime carer and I’m unable to work. I served my country in the defence force and at 57 years old this is not how I saw my retirement.
“We invested in good faith based on decades of State Government regulation. All we are asking for is a fair go,” said Peter.
Peter is part of a closed legal action of over 900 Queensland taxi licence owners against the State Government. The court ordered mediation is scheduled for early 2022.
