Call for inquiry into Cabcharge donations to Labor and taxi monopoly
Greens NSW MP Lee Rhiannon has called for an inquiry to establish if there was any link between Cabcharge participation in Labor Party fundraisers and the continuing monopoly control this company has over the taxi industry.
“The Greens political donations project, Democracy4sale, has revealed that Cabcharge representatives engaged in a flurry of lobbying at Labor Party fundraising events prior to the 2007 state election,” Ms Rhiannon said.
“Cabcharge representatives attended a number of fund raisers where they would have had direct contact with Premier Morris Iemma and his Ministers.
“We don’t know if these Cabcharge activities coincided with a NSW government decision that ultimately benefited Cabcharge. But we do know that Cabcharge gave at least $32,000 at these events and gifts in kind to the Premier, as well as another $5,000 in direct donations.
“The NSW Election Funding Authority data for the 2007 election reveals that Cabcharge donated $73,600 to the NSW Labor Party.
“Cabcharge has benefited from a NSW government decision that limited the number of new taxi licences issued in 2007.
“The ABC’s Stateline this week reported that in the lead up to the 2007 state election Macquarie Bank’s Lime Taxis were assured by the NSW Ministry of Transport that in its first year of operation it would have 90 taxi licences.
”After the election Lime Taxis only received half that number of licences, a decision seen as favourable to Cabcharge’s monopoly control of the taxi industry. Macquarie Bank has since pulled out of the taxi business, and their decision has been linked to the cut back in the number of taxi licences they were able to buy.
”The cutback in the number of taxi licences granted to Lime is seen as a reason that Macquarie Bank pulled out of the taxi business, leaving Cabcharge’s monopoly in place.
“There needs to be a public inquiry into the links between the Cabcharge lobbying at Labor fundraisers and the change of policy on taxi licences.
“If the government refuses to set up an independent inquiry I will take this matter to the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into political donations due to sit in March,” Ms Rhiannon said.
