Transport Matters Party

Last updated

Transport Matters Party
Founders Rod Barton
André Baruch
Founded9 January 2018
Registered30 April 2018
Dissolved28 July 2023
Ideology Taxi industry advocacy
Ban on Uber
Environmentalism [1]
Colours  Orange
Victorian Legislative Council
1 / 40
(2018−2022)
Website
www.transportmatters.org.au

The Transport Matters Party was an Australian political party active in Victoria. [2] The party was registered with the Victorian Electoral Commission on 30 April 2018, after an application was received by the VEC on 9 January 2018. [3]

Contents

Co-founder Rod Barton announced on 23 June 2023 that the party would disband after an unsuccessful membership drive. It was formally dissolved on 28 July 2023. [4]

History

The party was co-founded by Rod Barton and André Baruch, both hire car operators. [5]

Most of the party's members are taxi drivers or taxi licence owners involved in a class action lawsuit against Uber for loss of income between 2014 and 2017, when the company operated in Victoria as an illegal taxicab operation. [6] [7] Uber was legalised in Victoria in August 2017 following the deregulation of the taxi/ride-share industry in the state.

In May 2019, more than 6,000 taxi and car-hire drivers, operators and licence owners across four states commenced the class action in the Victorian Supreme Court. [8]

Transport Matters was registered federally on 24 March 2020. [9] However, the party was voluntarily de-registered federally on 16 December 2021, having never competed at a federal election. [10]

Policies

The party described itself as possessing a centre-left policy agenda; in addition to the party's core focus on transport, it also championed environmental issues and small business interests. [11] The party advocated for major transport projects including the East West Link, then North East Link, the West Gate Tunnel, the Suburban Rail Loop and a fully publicly-owned Melbourne Airport rail line. [11] [12] [13]

The party's policy priorities included:

Commercial Passenger Vehicle Industry

Homelessness

Public Transport

Bicycle Infrastructure

Other Areas

Electoral history

At the 2018 Victorian state election, the party was the beneficiary of a highly convoluted series of preference flows in the group voting ticket for the Legislative Council organised by Glenn Druery. With these beneficial preferences it was estimated that the party could get elected on less than 0.3% of the vote in the Eastern Metropolitan Region. [15] Ultimately, the party polled 0.62% of the vote and Barton was elected to the Legislative Council for a four-year term.

Victorian Legislative Council

YearNo of votes % of voteSeats won+/–Notes
2018 22,0510.62 (#17)
1 / 40
Increase2.svg 1Shared balance of power
2022 10,6050.28 (#21)
0 / 40
Decrease2.svg 1

See also

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References

  1. "Environment Policy". Transport Matters Party. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  2. "Currently registered parties". Victorian Electoral Commission . Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  3. Baruch, Andre (2 August 2017). "Transport Matters Party - new entrant into the political landscape in Victoria". Australia Wide Chauffeur Cars. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  4. "Movie could be made about 'preference whisperer' Glenn Druery". 6 News Australia.
  5. "Transport Matters Party to contest state poll". Surf Coast Times. 15 May 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  6. Jacks, Timna (12 May 2018). "'Melbourne grinding to a halt': New political party for transport". The Age. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  7. "Victorian taxi, hire drivers to sue Uber for 'hundreds of millions' in lost earnings". The New Daily. 19 October 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  8. Uber 'came to our shores, illegally, like pirates', class action lead plaintiff says
  9. "Registration of a political party Transport Matters Party" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  10. "Transport Matters Party Voluntary Deregistration" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission.
  11. 1 2 Jacks, Timna. "'Melbourne grinding to a halt': New political party for transport". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  12. Carey, Adam. "Party in the upper house: Who's who on new Victorian crossbench". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  13. "Suburban Rail Loop". Transport Matters Party. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  14. "Homelessness". Transport Matters Party. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  15. Analyst, Antony Green-ABC Election (16 November 2018). "How to Vote for the Victorian Legislative Council". ABC News. Retrieved 12 December 2018.