Premier Will Hodgman has not come to grips with the challenges and opportunities presented by the sharing economy, which is projected by PricewaterhouseCoopers to be worth US$335b worldwide by 2025.
“The sharing economy has arrived in Tasmania, with over 1000 properties listed on Airbnb and Uber currently advertising for drivers in Hobart, yet it seems as if all the Premier has done is have a bit of a think about it,” Greens’ IT and Innovation spokesperson Nick McKim MP said.
“The government as Tasmania’s chief regulator has an enormous challenge on its hands, and is being left behind by other Australian governments which are moving to address some of the regulatory challenges and economic opportunities of the sharing economy.”
“The shared economy is the free market operating as it should to drive down costs, and it delivers significant environmental benefits by maximising use of existing resources, but doing nothing is not an option for Mr Hodgman.”
“The taxi industry is massively exposed with high costs because it is so heavily regulated, but the government has done nothing to meet the challenge.”
“Mr Hodgman needs to show some leadership here. He should form a whole-of-government taskforce to consider the challenges and opportunities and consult with stakeholders including existing industry sectors and shared economy companies,” Mr McKim said.