Commercial passenger vehicle industry
Mr BARTON (Eastern Metropolitan) (09:56): The last 12 months have not been good for the taxi industry. We have lost a lot of very good people. Earlier in January a very good friend of mine, John Fitz, passed. John set up Wodonga Taxis. I am not suggesting that he did it a long time ago, but I think it was horses and carts when he started. To the very end there were not many days when John and his wife, Eleanor, did not contact me and tell me how bad things were and talk about the struggle the taxi industry was having. They were really good friends, and I am really sad. I am here because of people like them. I want to send my regards to Warren, their son. They have had a terrible time with the reforms and the battles we have had with the regulator. I just want to say to the industry—I hate to say this—I am now one of the grown-ups. It is like when you lose a parent; you have to step up. That is what we have lost.
I also just want to mention Mr Gange, owner of Silver Top, who passed just prior to Christmas. It is the second-largest taxi company we have here in Victoria. Things are changing, and it is very sad.