Jeff Kennett to head Commercial Passenger Vehicles Victoria if Liberal Nationals elected in November
FORMER Liberal Premier Jeff Kennett says he’ll make sure cab drivers are “properly qualified” and “speak the English language” as the state’s taxi regulator if the Coalition is elected in November.
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FORMER Liberal Premier Jeff Kennett will head the state’s taxi regulator if the opposition is elected in November.
Mr Kennett famously restructured the industry, introducing the yellow taxi scheme, in the 1990s.
Opposition Leader Matthew Guy announced today that Mr Kennett would head Commercial Passenger Vehicles Victoria, formerly the Taxi Services Commission, under his government.
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Mr Kennett has been a vocal opponent to the Andrews Government’s taxi industry reforms, labelling them “ham-fisted” in a Herald Sun column last month.
“The Minister for Public Transport oversaw and drove the cruellest destruction of collective and individual wealth when she brutalised the Victorian taxi industry,” he wrote.
“People who had worked hard, honourably and had paid taxes all their lives overnight saw their assets destroyed.”
The Opposition has promised a review of the reforms, including the Fairness Fund and new $1 commercial passenger vehicle levy.
Mr Kennett told 3AW today that he would target affordability and reliability and ensure drivers are “properly qualified” and “speak the English language”.
“My job will be to oversee the industry as a whole and to ensure Victorian commuters and visitors to the state are safe and comfortable when using whatever form of transport it may be,” he said.
Opposition spokesman for public transport David Davis said Mr Kennett would bring a “weather eye” to the review.
“He has certainly been prepared to ensure that the taxi industry and ride-sharing, and so forth, deliver for the community,” he said.
“It is one small area of government where he has knowledge and expertise, and that can be brought to benefit for the Victorian community.”
Mr Davis said Mr Kennett’s inquiry would begin immediately and report within months.
Mr Kennett is president of the Hawthorn Football Club and, until March, served in a key role overseeing Victoria’s first medically supervised drug-injecting centre.
He quit that post over Labor’s red shirt rorting fiasco.
But Mr Kennett said he would head up Commercial Passenger Vehicles Victoria under a Labor government.
“I would have done it for the Labor government because I am attached to this part of the industry,” he said.
Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan said today that Mr Kennett would effectively control a Liberal government.
“It’s pretty clear from today’s announcement that Jeff’s back … Jeff will be back running a future Liberal government and we all know what that means,” Ms Allan said.
“When he was last in government, and premier of Victoria, we saw cuts to country schools, cutting train lines, cutting hospital funding, cuts to public service and the public sector and it looks like they’re set to do it all again with Jeff Kennett back running a future Liberal government.”
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