Page 2440 - Week 11 - Thursday, 2 November 1989
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
I do not think, however, that there is any argument about the need to provide some form of sanction for those who fail to pay a parking fine. The proposal to cancel licences and registrations is noted, and the Rally has no objection to this concept. However, there is one aspect of this Bill which requires some clarification. I understand that approximately 30,000 of the parking fines issued in the ACT are for cars from New South Wales, and no doubt some are issued for cars from other States as well. Mr Speaker, I would like to draw members' attention to page 11 of the Bill, proposed subsection 162E(1)(f)(ii). It says:
if the motor vehicle is not registered in the Territory - suspend the right to drive that motor vehicle in the Territory.
When I read that the thought occurred to me: how the heck are we going to set up some form of system to apply that sanction to people of New South Wales who come across here and park and do not pay their parking fines? Are we going to set up some form of monitoring device at the border? Will we have to run our licence plates through some sort of check as we cross the border and, if we come up on the bad side of the books, will the little man in the blue uniform say, "Sorry, madam", or, "Sorry, sir, you cannot come into the ACT because you have not paid your fine."?
I am just wondering how it is proposed to bring in this measure. It was suggested to me at one stage that one does not make laws unless they can be enforced. I am just trying to work out why we have that particular penalty and how we are going to enforce it. I draw that matter to the attention of the Minister and her advisers to see what arrangements they are going to make for this. I hope we do not go down the track of 1984. That is what we called it in the old period but, of course, we are probably talking about 2084 now because we have moved on a little bit. Surely we will not go to the situation where we have some form of checkpoint at the border of the ACT to sort this particular problem out.
Once again, Mr Speaker, might I suggest that all good laws should be able to be enforced. If they cannot be enforced, let us not have them. Hopefully, the Minister will have some sort of answer to the query that I have just raised. I will listen with bated breath to find out how this will be done, because I am sure that is going to be an interesting exercise.
MR COLLAERY (4.39): Mr Speaker, the Bill has the broad support of the Rally but we support the amendments proposed by the Liberal Party. We do so on the basis that this Bill, if it becomes law in the form in which it is proposed, will in our view cause far more expense to the community in extra litigation, it will cause confusion, and it goes against the weight of our own practical experience. It is an attempt to turn back the tide. Firstly, a large
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .