The Wodonga cabbie kept up-to-date with the ins-and-outs of government, but he admits now it was only when his industry was transformed by an act of parliament that he realised exactly how politics can play out.

“Because of the last five years with everything that has happened I’ve learnt a lot about politics,” Mr Cowie said.

“I thought I had a vague idea up until the age of 42, now I know a lot more and it’s disgraceful.”

Since the 2014 Victorian election, the Labor government has deregulated the taxi industry in response to the emergence of ride-sharing businesses such as Uber.

The move has seen taxi plates rendered worthless, as new operators are able to set up by paying just a $52 licence fee.

The shake-up has sparked the establishment of the Transport Matters political party by disgruntled cabbies.

Mr Cowie will stand as Transport Matters’ No.1 candidate in the Upper House seat of Northern Victoria at this month’s election.

He had been a conservative voter until 2014 when he favoured Labor believing the Daniel Andrews-led party would protect the taxi sector.

Now he dislikes Liberal, Labor and the Greens.

“My main concern as the candidate around here is the train line between here and Seymour, because it’s abysmal,” Mr Cowie said.

“A lot don’t use it because of the uncertainty of whether it’s going to be a bus or a train. It’s a running joke, being a taxi driver, with passengers saying to them ‘did you get the bus or the train?’.”

Another Wodonga resident with taxi ties, Eleanore Fitz is No.2 on the Northern Victoria ticket.

Meanwhile, there are a variety of other micro party Upper House candidates with North East nominees.

They include the population-centred Sustainable Australia party whose hopes, Madeleine Wearne and Ian Chivers, hail from Cudgewa.

Former Moyhu general store owner Phil Larkin is atop the ballot paper for the Australian Country Party, having run under the same banner in the Victorian senate election in 2016.

Northern Victoria runs from Mildura to Corryong and includes Bendigo, Seymour and Shepparton.