Page 2437 - Week 11 - Thursday, 2 November 1989
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happened last month, way back in the dim, dark past and they will just tend to forget about the thing. As a result, they would wind up incurring an additional administration charge which, to me, does not make all that much sense. I suppose really the bottom line is that it is a social obligation; it is a form of responsibility to pay fines as they fall due.
I shall be supporting the thrust of the legislation. I shall be moving amendments which I think would make it much more sensible and fair, and I look forward to the ensuing debate.
MRS NOLAN (4.28): I will be brief. I think that a lot of the concerns have been well traversed and I am sure that they are going to be spoken on in the detail stage of the Bill. But there are a couple of things that I would like to say. As my colleague Mr Stefaniak says, obviously we in the Liberal Party do not agree with the concept of people going to gaol for the non-payment of parking fines. Again, we really do welcome the broad thrust of this legislation.
There are a couple of areas that I did want to mention today. One concerns the Bill in its original form. Fourteen days, I believe, is totally unacceptable in relation to getting a reminder notice. In fact, the Bill in its current form provides not for a reminder notice but for a final notice, at which point an administrative cost of $20 applies. Both Victoria and New South Wales look at a 28-day period before there is any additional cost. Most of us, I think, know that in New South Wales the situation is that after 14 days a reminder notice is sent and an administrative cost of some $27 applies.
In Victoria the situation is that a reminder letter is sent after 28 days and there is an additional cost of only $10. South Australia has a 21-day period with a final notice and an additional administrative cost of $10. Queensland has a reminder notice after 21 days with no additional costs at all. Tasmania has neither a reminder nor additional cost. In Western Australia there is a 28-day period - a final notice after 14 days with a further 14 days to pay. So there is a courtesy note, if you like, in Western Australia too. But one of the things that I am really concerned about is the area of public relations in this whole exercise.
Debate interrupted.
ADJOURNMENT
MR SPEAKER: Order! It being 4.30 pm, I propose the question:
That the Assembly do now adjourn.
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