Uber
Mr BARTON (Eastern Metropolitan) (12:23): My question today is for Minister Pulford, representing the minister for transport. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the ACCC, has commenced proceedings against Uber in the Federal Court. Uber have admitted they engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct and have made false and misleading representations in their app. Uber have agreed to pay $26Â million in penalties, admitting they were guilty of breaching Australian Consumer Law. The ACCC estimates that 2Â million Australians were affected by this misleading prompt in the app. This behaviour is not surprising. Uber have always followed their own set of rules. So I ask: Minister, given Uber have themselves admitted that they have engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct, do you still believe Uber are a fit and proper entity to be operating here in Victoria?
Ms PULFORD (Western Victoria—Minister for Employment, Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy, Minister for Small Business, Minister for Resources) (12:24): I thank Mr Barton for his question. As was the case with Mr Bourman’s question, I will seek a written response in accordance with our standing orders from the minister for transport—though one day I would like a question in one of my portfolios.
Mr BARTON (Eastern Metropolitan) (12:25): Thank you, Minister. On the same case I wrote to the ACCC in September 2019 raising the issue that Uber had been falsely representing taxi fare estimates displayed in its app. Uber misled consumers by providing taxi-Uber comparisons that grossly overestimated the cost of a taxi. Uber are now providing services to clients in the multipurpose taxi program, a service for Victorians with disabilities. My concern is that Uber cannot be trusted. These are Victoria’s most vulnerable. We are subjecting them to predatory surge pricing from a company with a history of misleading and deceiving Australian consumers and failing to notify regulators of sexual assaults and crashes occurring in their vehicles. Minister, can Victorians have confidence that the regulator has the right skills and the teeth to ensure Uber provides accurate and clear prices to the Victorian consumer, especially those in the multipurpose taxi program?
Ms PULFORD (Western Victoria—Minister for Employment, Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy, Minister for Small Business, Minister for Resources) (12:26): I thank Mr Barton for his question and his ongoing interest. His advocacy for people in this industry is impressive and it is consistent, and his depth of engagement with the sector and knowledge of various issues I think is recognised by all members in the chamber. Indeed from Minister Carroll I will seek a written response.