Australian opposition leader reveals Labor's plans for regulating Uber and Airbnb
Australia’s opposition leader, Bill Shorten, says the sharing economy is here to stay and has released six principles that would guide his approach to regulating it. The principles recognise that people’s primary property is theirs to share; new services should support good wages and working conditions; everyone must pay a fair share of tax; there should be proper protection for public safety; services should provide access for people with disabilities; and companies should play by the rules. He calls these principles “tailored, light-touch rules” for sharing-economy services so that emerging operators pay their fair share of tax and customers’ safety is protected.

The emergence of internet and smartphone-based companies such as Airtasker, which allows users to book a landscaper or babysitter, and car service GoGet have caught governments around the world by surprise.

Australian policymakers have been particularly slow to respond compared with the US and Britain.

So far, Labor is the only party to engage in a serious policymaking process focused on thorny regulatory, labour and tax issues thrown up by the sharing economy.

Work on Labor's approach began under shadow assistant treasurer Andrew Leigh in March and was followed by a six-month consultation process with the sector that drew more than 500 submissions.

"New services like Airbnb, Airtasker, Camplify and GoGet are changing the way Australians buy and sell things," Mr Shorten says. "They are also changing how we think about work and the line between private property and public goods.

"There is huge economic and community potential in this emerging peer-to-peer market."

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Labor's first principle on potential federal reforms and regulations is that "primary property is yours to share" and should be free of heavy-handed regulation.

Mr Shorten believes that a person who uses their own car, home or goods to deliver services is hardly as high-risk as running a big business.

Second, the sharing economy shouldn't compromise wages and conditions.

Third, everyone engaged in business across the sharing economy must pay a fair share of tax at the "standard rate", regardless of whether they are local firms or big international ones.

Fourth and fifth, sharing economy services must have property insurance and be covered by consumer law, and be accessible to Australians with disabilities.

Finally, when governments put in place "tailored, light touch rules for the sharing economy", there should be zero tolerance for those who continue to flout Australian laws.

Labor's policy documents concedes that striking a balance between supporting innovation and protecting the community is difficult.