14 October 2008

Taxi Charge ACT vs NSW

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I would like an answer from the government about the difference between the Taxi vouchers for people with disabilities.

While NSW only get a 50% discount while ACT 75% off.

If someone from NSW wanted to work in the ACT from Queanbeyan it’s not feasible for them to travel to ACT for employment (queanbeyan- fyshwick would cost $40 a day after discount). Therefore restricting them from work and social events.

Is this really fair? I have a friend who got a job opportunity to work in the ACT but could not afford the transport cost so she basically is waiting around looking for suitable employment for wheelchair accessible jobs in Queanbeyan. (and no she is unable to catch a bus)

How long is she going to have to wait before someone fixes up this mess??

[ED – perhaps someone can explain what this is all about?]

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ant said :

W M-C said

Woody Mann-Caruso said :

No point asking for 75% anyway – the driver will just take the extra 25% back as a cleaning fee when their Queanbeyan passenger chunders bourbon, homebrand cola and chiko roll all over the seats.

That’s actually Woodstock and Chicken Schnitzel. All over the seats.

Thanks for the visual guys….. eeewwww !

W M-C said

Woody Mann-Caruso said :

No point asking for 75% anyway – the driver will just take the extra 25% back as a cleaning fee when their Queanbeyan passenger chunders bourbon, homebrand cola and chiko roll all over the seats.

That’s actually Woodstock and Chicken Schnitzel. All over the seats.

It would depend on conditions at the time. The government could take an equity stake in the bank, or it could take an amount of outstanding loans off the banks’ books, or probably a dozen other creative ideas.

The point of a government guarantee is to stop depositors from panicking and withdrawing their money.

That makes sense. So in the event that the government actually had to make good on their guarantee, would they require interest repayed at such a time as the banks had the liquidity?

Fair point, but how does this relate to the topic again?

Absolutely nada, but it related to previous couple of posts.

Nope, shareholders in banks (just like shareholders in any liability-limited-by-shares company, ie most of them) are only liable to lose the money they put in to buying the shares.

p1, the essential business of a bank is to borrow money in short term loans and immediately-repayable deposits, and lend it out in long term loans. If too many people want their short term loans and deposits back, then the bank is in trouble, because it can’t get them back from the long term loans. In short, it’s nothing to do with profitability, it’s to do with liquidity.

The point of a government guarantee is to stop depositors from panicking and withdrawing their money.

tylersmayhem2:37 pm 15 Oct 08

The governments “guaranteeing” of peoples savings should only be necessary at the point where the banks stop making a profit. And even then, shouldn’t the share holders of the banks be liable for any debts they accrue?

Fair point, but how does this relate to the topic again?

The governments “guaranteeing” of peoples savings should only be necessary at the point where the banks stop making a profit. And even then, shouldn’t the share holders of the banks be liable for any debts they accrue?

tylersmayhem1:13 pm 15 Oct 08

Any time we spend money it ends up to either a) the banks or b) the government.

Aren’t we giving all those surplus billions (and possibly some more that we’ll have to borrow) to the poor banks?

tylersmayhem12:41 pm 15 Oct 08

Exactly where are these magical billions supposed to come from?

Australia’s surplus Caf.

Personally I beleive the ACT should absorb Queanbeyan as a new town centre, so we can avoid all this bickering about water supplies, new developments, taxation revenue, etc..

This makes a lot of sense if only from a schnitzel supply point of view…

Exactly where are these magical billions supposed to come from?

Simply absorbing the ACT into NSW Australia would save billions

I believe the administration costs of the ACT government (excluding services which would need to be provided anyway, such as the Department of Education and Training) is only about $70 million p.a., or about $200 per person, and is a fiftieth of the amount I would be willing to pay to live in ACT rather than be ruled by the clowns in nanny-state NSW.

Personally I beleive the ACT should absorb Queanbeyan as a new town centre, so we can avoid all this bickering about water supplies, new developments, taxation revenue, etc..

tylersmayhem10:43 am 15 Oct 08

While I understand and agree in many ways with your gripe ESC, I’d also be pretty careful on your path. Chances are with lots of publicity, the governments might decide to equalise the benefits – and as history shows…often to the lower benefit. Might be 50% and 50% instead of 50% and 70%.

Some of them it would be worth paying much more then that to get rid of.

I would like to thank everyone for their support and SpamBox i will call ADACAS.

No I’m not referring to all state govs.(although, that argument is quite a compelling one, but incredibly difficult in reality) Simply absorbing the ACT into NSW Australia would save billions, money that could then be spent on more important things like keeping people alive and healthy, with no loss whatsoever to anybody. ACT has no more right to special status then say, Newcastle

I would have to agree.

The NSW Gov is a worry for sure, perhaps we can just offer all of them $100,000 each to quit their posts and p!$$off(promising never to return to politics)

Money well spent I would think lol

…if you don’t love America GET THE HELL OUT! Future Riotact tagline?

No I’m not referring to all state govs…

In that case I really think that you are giving the NSW state gov’t a lot of credit. While in the loooonnnngg term it might mean more money in the system, I suspect that in the short term, all the ACT’s current budget would disappear into the black hole that is the NSW governments coffers, and services here would get substantially worse, and we wouldn’t even be able to whinge about Stanhope.

On a positive note, Canberra City Council actually would be a council…..

Bundybear said :

Just another example of the inequity brought on by too many levels of government. Different system in every state and territory, although at least each system now recognises the others, and honours interstate cards/vouchers/etc. Gotta say though, it’s a rare example of ACT “out-generousing” anybody. Perhaps a positive result of a fair bit of jumping up and down by people with disabilities in ACT a couple of years back.

Yes we should have one level of Government that decides everything. That way 10 million people can tell 9.9 million people exactly how to live. That’s much better and hey, if you don’t love America GET THE HELL OUT!

Perhaps abolishing the state level of government is the best solution, however Queensland would never agree, because they do so well out of interstate subsidies

Disabled people in Qld would probably be cheering tho because their disability support is awful.

As for us being “absorbed”, I can think of a few ways the NSW disability support system is better than the ACT’s, but not many. Would rather stay here thank you very much.

Woody Mann-Caruso9:01 am 15 Oct 08

NEWSFLASH: State, Territory governments do things differently. NEXT: why are license plates different colours?

No point asking for 75% anyway – the driver will just take the extra 25% back as a cleaning fee when their Queanbeyan passenger chunders bourbon, homebrand cola and chiko roll all over the seats.

No I’m not referring to all state govs.(although, that argument is quite a compelling one, but incredibly difficult in reality) Simply absorbing the ACT into NSW Australia would save billions, money that could then be spent on more important things like keeping people alive and healthy, with no loss whatsoever to anybody. ACT has no more right to special status then say, Newcastle

I can’t think of any reason that the ACT should not be absorbed by NSW

I can. So many of the services that we whinge about because they are so much worse then Sydney would seem great when the NSW gov’t put us on a level with Yass….

We could rebuild the entire health system across the country to AAA standard immediately, with absolutely no loss of anything appreciable with the funds saved by removing an outdated and completely nonsensical arrangement

I assume this refers to abolishing all state gov’ts not just the ACT? …and I think you are giving the federal government a lot of confidence that it might not be due.

ChrisinTurner, good point but i think you have it around the wrong way, I can’t think of any reason that the ACT should not be absorbed by NSW. The original reasons for it’s creation are in no way relevant in modern Australia. Clearly, the nation itself would benefit by such a move saving billions of dollars with absolutely zero negatives. We could rebuild the entire health system across the country to AAA standard immediately, with absolutely no loss of anything appreciable with the funds saved by removing an outdated and completely nonsensical arrangement

However, Spam Box is not necessarily male, and it sounds like they have a lot of experience in the area of carers and people with a disability.

Not very tolerant of schnitzel lovers though is (s)he?

The stupid differences between how states spend their (our?) money is always most obvious in border towns. At least ACT and NSW are in the same timezone.

ChrisinTurner1:48 am 15 Oct 08

I should add that I am not suggesting that these Queanbeyan people all move to Canberra but there is probably a good argument for more uniformity in charges and services for the disabled. But where do you stop? Perhaps abolishing the state level of government is the best solution, however Queensland would never agree, because they do so well out of interstate subsidies.

Never mind. Spam Box is providing plenty of entertainment!

Nobody could possibly expect you to recant about the chicken schnitzels!

; )

However, Spam Box is not necessarily male, and it sounds like they have a lot of experience in the area of carers and people with a disability. If so, then it may be difficult for them to see humour in this type of thread.

***They should re-do their signs on the perimeter, from “fastest growing town in.. (where is it?)” to “Queanbeyan, We’ve Got All the Chicken Schnitzels”.***

Sounds like the bottom of the bottle to me fella but anyhow, good luck to you *ant*

Spam Box

Don’t you love people who sail in and want to make the rules? I’m hoping he’ll start swearing and maybe his relatives and friends will come to help soon.

And I’ll never recant my claim that Queanbeyan has cornered the market on chicken schnitzels. You want one, you come over here. It’s Chicken Schnitzel town.

They should re-do their signs on the perimeter, from “fastest growing town in.. (where is it?)” to “Queanbeyan, We’ve Got All the Chicken Schnitzels”.

I really don’t think there is anything to recant.

**a bit of fun**

Fair enough.

I’m assuming he will now recant his previous comment.

Ant was just having a bit of fun. One of the most quality contributors to RiotACT IMHO, and I am pretty passionate about disability issues.

: )

**quote- Australia needs a nation-wide entitlement-based system to pay for the additional costs of living that come with disability -**

hear hear!

Quality stuff – *ant*

informative and relevant

The ACT vouchers are only 75% for wheelchair users. Other people with disabilities who cannot use public transport (and can use regular cars) get 50%.

The ACT system was changed around 2003 and sh*ts all over the one we used to have.

This is just a symptom of letting the States and Territories run disability and divvy up their budgets however they like! A disabled person moving Queanbeyan to ACT is going to find gains and losses in different bits of the system. Australia needs a nation-wide entitlement-based system to pay for the additional costs of living that come with disability.

ChrisinTurner said :

I continue to be amused by people who live in Queanbeyan because it is cheaper in every way than living in Canberra, then want all the benefits of living in Canberra, like jobs and social activities!

Oh ho ho! That might be true, but Qbn has ALL the chicken schnitzels. Sucko.

Presumably ChrisinTurner she would be in assisted living housing or Public housing at least. Transferring is incredibly hard even in extreme circumstances. Furthermore perhaps all of her support systems (Dr’s, friends, family etc) would be in QB. It’s much more difficult and potentially harmfully to remove her from these supports. Have some compassion or at least understanding, it certainly isn’t as easy as moving to some share-house for people in these circumstances

ChrisinTurner7:57 pm 14 Oct 08

I continue to be amused by people who live in Queanbeyan because it is cheaper in every way than living in Canberra, then want all the benefits of living in Canberra, like jobs and social activities!

Apologies to GregW and PsydFX. I got a bit mixed up there.

ESC – make sure she rings

Why are you arguing?, I’m telling you as plainly as I can without actually committing to it… call 0262425060

Perhaps post back when it’s fixed up 🙂

Whats the difference between travelling from Queanbeyan to Fyshwick to say, travelling from Calwell to Fyshwick – SFA! So why should they be disadvantged?

I said between cities, no one doubts that it was intended to allow people with a disability to move around.

GregW said :

Considered living closer to work? Does being in a wheelchair really prevent her from catching a bus?

err, I meant:
You’re an idiot

GregW said :

I hadn’t realised wheelchair users received such a discount, however surely using such a large government subsidy so your ‘friend’ can travel between cities for work is exploiting its intended use.

That’s exactly what it’s intended for – allowing people with a disability to get around to do essential things like working.

GregW said :

Considered living closer to work? Does being in a wheelchair really prevent her from catching a bus?

You’re and idiot!

I hadn’t realised wheelchair users received such a discount, however surely using such a large government subsidy so your ‘friend’ can travel between cities for work is exploiting its intended use.

Considered living closer to work? Does being in a wheelchair really prevent her from catching a bus?

Just another example of the inequity brought on by too many levels of government. Different system in every state and territory, although at least each system now recognises the others, and honours interstate cards/vouchers/etc. Gotta say though, it’s a rare example of ACT “out-generousing” anybody. Perhaps a positive result of a fair bit of jumping up and down by people with disabilities in ACT a couple of years back.

Contact the ACT Disability Aged and Carer Advocate service in Canberra(ADACAS)0262425060(best place to call even though she’s in Queanbeyan) they should be able to advocate for her to help get an agreement in place with the taxi mob or other services that help with this kind of thing. Believe me, these advocacy people can move mountains.

Good luck and make sure she makes the call, I’m sure something can be done

Canberran wheelchair users might get a discount fare but it doesn’t mean that the cabbie will always give them a ride, despite being required to.

Your friend has my sympathy.

So you are saying the ACT govt is actually paying more towards taxi travel then the NSW govt? We generally only whinge about the ACT Govt on this website so you might be out of luck trying to influence NSW Govt here?

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