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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-11-10 Daily Xml
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TAXI DRIVER OF THE YEAR AWARDS

Mr SIBBONS (Mitchell) (14:51): My question is to the Minister for Transport Services. Can the minister inform the house about the recent 2011 Taxi Driver of the Year Awards?

Ms Chapman: Tom Koutsantonis!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Transport Services.

The Hon. C.C. FOX (Bright—Minister for Transport Services) (14:51): I thank the member for Mitchell for this question. No; this year it was not the member for West Torrens, but I am sure it could have been in the past.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. C.C. FOX: I recently had the pleasure of attending the 2011 Adelaide Airport Taxi Driver of the Year Awards, my first official event as transport services minister.

An honourable member: Hear, hear!

The Hon. C.C. FOX: Thank you, and may I say that I was welcomed most graciously, not just by the Taxi Council South Australia, but by the shadow member for transport services, Mr Griffiths.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. C.C. FOX: He is a decent man.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. C.C. FOX: Some people have no friends. I understand the awards have been conducted over the past 10 years, and they are a key event within the taxi industry. A lot of people go to this event, and it really is the taxi industry's night of nights. I had a very good time and I met a lot of people who have worked for 30 or 40 years in the industry. It is really easy for people who take taxis to bag taxi drivers. It is a very easy thing to do, but actually they offer us an extraordinary service.

The people whom I met on that night were extraordinary people. The winner of this year's award was one Mr Casimir Fung, who, I believe, has won in the past. He won a substantial amount of money, and the speech that he made was astonishing. The story that we heard about his nomination was that someone who had travelled from overseas to Adelaide was picked up by Mr Fung in the cab—

Mr Griffiths: New Zealand.

The Hon. C.C. FOX: Well, New Zealand is overseas.

Mr Griffiths: Yes, I know. I just wanted to make sure—

The Hon. C.C. FOX: I see. Yes, it's overseas. It's the one with the sheep. He was picked up at the airport by Mr Fung and was so impressed by the service he had during the 15-minute ride that from New Zealand he nominated Mr Fung, and indeed Mr Fung won.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

The Hon. C.C. FOX: It was actually very moving. It was a very enjoyable evening. The taxi industry employs people who have been driving for 40 years, and it has been a great employer of those who have not lived in our country for a very long time. I met many different kinds of taxi drivers on that night. I had a wonderful time, and I would like to thank the taxi drivers of this state for doing the work that they do.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

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