Andrew Leigh

E&OE TRANSCRIPT

DOORSTOP

SYDNEY

FRIDAY, 18 MARCH 2016

SUBJECT/S: Labor’s principles for the sharing economy

SHADOW ASSISTANT TREASURER, ANDREW LEIGH: Thanks very much for coming along to DriveMyCar. I'm here with Michael Daley seeing one of Australia's most innovative companies in the sharing economy. 

Federal Labor has taken the sharing economy seriously. We engaged in a consultative process, speaking to workers, to consumers, to sharing economy providers, to those competing with the sharing economy. Because we reckon that in order to make the sharing economy work for everyone, we have to get the rules right. Labor's sharing economy principles, launched with Bill Shorten last October, lay out that primary property should be yours to share. The sharing economy should work for workers as well as for customers. We need to make sure that sharing economy businesses pay their fair share of tax, that public safety is protected, and there is access for as many people as possible. We are encouraging sharing economy providers particularly to engage disability peak groups to make sure that people with disabilities benefit from the sharing economy as other Australians do. 

DriveMyCar is a great Australian start-up, and a company which has made it easier to make use of underutilised assets. For people who are away for a couple of months, DriveMyCar provides opportunity for them to earn revenue from their car by renting it out for others. It has an overarching insurance policy that makes sure that comprehensive insurance is in place, as well as roadside assistance. DriveMyCar is an example of the way in which the sharing economy can help us to better use underutilised assets. 

The real disappointment is that the Abbott and Turnbull Governments have had their head in the sand when it comes to the sharing economy. They haven't taken seriously the importance for engaging the State, Territory and local governments to make sure that the sharing economy works for all Australians. Here in New South Wales, state Labor has been leading the debate over the sharing economy, and it's my pleasure to now hand over to Deputy NSW opposition leader Michael Daley to say a few words. 

NSW DEPUTY OPPOSITION LEADER, MICHAEL DALEY: It's great to be here with Andrew Leigh to have a look at a brand new innovative Australian company. These are smart businesses resident in Australia. They pay their fair share of GST and income tax, they employ local people and they facilitate consumers to get better outcomes for underutilised assets. The important thing about these sort of businesses not only are they not going away, but they will proliferate, they will change the face of our national and state economies over the next 10 and 20 years. So it's important for governments to get ahead of the game, or in this instance I think it's probably more true to say that we all need to catch up. 

That's why Labor at a federal and state level have really taken the lead. And as usual, Labor's approach on this issue is not only based on innovation, but it is also based on fairness. Labor will work with these sorts of businesses from here forward, to make sure that they're run properly, that consumer benefits, and everybody is a winner.  

ENDS