O'Rourke DenisDENIS O'ROURKE (NZ First): New Zealand First will continue to oppose this bill solely because of its provisions in relation to Uber. We do not believe any of the points that Minister Bridges made are true or correct. We think to the contrary that the bill will degrade the standards applying to small passenger vehicles and that will impact on passenger safety. We say that there will be no level playing field provided for Uber in relation to taxis and that that is a bad thing. We do not accept that simply because there is a new technology it is necessarily good—and it is not good in this case.In fact we think that the taxi drivers have a very valid complaint in relation to the lowering of standards which they have worked so hard for so long to maintain not because of the Transport Agency but because of the taxi drivers and their organisations themselves. We think that that will have a very adverse effect on the safety of passengers and drivers alike. The Government seems to be willing to pay that price and we think that is deplorable.We say that the bill will not provide a level playing field between Uber and taxis and that there is no possible way this legislation could do so. Uber should be required to do what taxis and taxi drivers are required to do. One of those things is that they should be required to pass an English language test and an area knowledge test and maintain a log book and comply with restrictions on hours of driving in just the same way as taxi drivers are required to do.Another issue is the removal of mandatory signs on and in vehicles. We say that they should stay. Uber vehicles should have mandatory signs on the exterior of them in just the same way as taxis do and the reason for that is that passengers have a right to know whether the vehicle that they are going to pay for a ride in is being run by authorised providers. You cannot do that without proper signage and signage assists in identifying the vehicles and the drivers so that that identification can be used for enforcement of regulations. We also oppose the deletion of the requirement for Braille signs in the interior of the vehicles. We think that it is perfectly reasonable that for sight-impaired people those Braille signs should stay. We say the same about security cameras—we think they are a very important adjunct for the safety of passengers and drivers as they are in taxis. They should be required for Uber vehicles in exactly the same way. Security cameras record passenger misbehaviour and provide a very good record of events should that be required for enforcement purposes.Most of all however New Zealand First is very deeply concerned that Uber pays no tax in New Zealand and that most of its drivers will pay little or no tax either as a matter of fact while taxi drivers will be required to continue to do so. That is certainly nowhere near a level playing field and the Government should be aiming for a level playing field.It is also true that Uber drivers do not pay at airports for drop-off fees or pick-up fees in the same way that taxi drivers do nor will Uber drivers have to pay for renting taxi stands at airports. Uber drivers just pick up or drop off people as though they are members of the public; they are not in that category. I know of one taxi organisation in Wellington that pays $200000 a year for taxi stands at Wellington Airport. Nobody in the Uber industry will be doing that and that is another very important way in which this bill is not providing Uber with a level playing field.New Zealand is not ready for a free-for-all Uber service in New Zealand in the way that this Government intends. The standards that will apply will be too low. The safety levels will be very significantly reduced. Uber will take profits from New Zealand to benefit overseas owners with no benefit to New Zealand whatsoever.There are already 7000 Uber vehicles in New Zealand and they include drivers on student visas whose real reason for being here is to find work not to study. They take jobs away from Kiwis jobs that should not be taken away from Kiwis. But even those drivers are being ripped off by the Uber organisation itself which has recently severely reduced Uber drivers' incomes to the point where you would have to wonder whether it is viable at all.The truth is that Uber is an international organisation with no interest whatsoever in the welfare of New Zealand or New Zealanders especially in the viability of the small passenger services industry in this country. New Zealand First wants Uber out of New Zealand as has happened recently in Denmark and in Italy for good reasons and we want a fair deal for taxi operators. This bill is not going to do it and we will not support it.