WITHOUT wishing to be uncharitable at this time of the year, I cannot resist highlighting the hypocrisy of our local state MP smiling alongside Bathurst Taxis Co-op in the stand against the introduction to Bathurst of ride-sharing Uber pirates (December 22).
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It should not be forgotten that in the early 1990s, state governments seized control of all of the state's privately owned taxi plates.
The owners then, without compensation, became 'licensees' to the state (ie, de facto public servants).
Ever since, the industry has incurred greater government regulation which in turn brought additional costs.
In the meantime, Coalition state and federal governments struggled to find ways to deregulate the taxi industry in all states in order to satisfy the demands of the Productivity Commission and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
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And lo! From the east rode Uber, which has done the job for them, but without the need to pay adequate compensation for the lost value of the plates - which had been inflated over the years, partly because the state issued new plates at what it assessed the market would pay.
No wonder MPs can smile - not at what Bathurst Taxis are doing to survive, but at what Uber has done for them.
Is it any wonder therefore that this voter is cynical at seeing a smiling MP on this occasion?