Page 2442 - Week 11 - Thursday, 2 November 1989
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address they wrote to the motor registry and advised it of their change of address.
Mrs Grassby: Yes, I did, because it is against the law not to.
MR COLLAERY: Well, my own experience in practice is that very few people, particularly people who do not write letters and are not used to it - including a large number of the multicultural community - would write those letters. We know that. The fact is that we will get extra problems out of this. I can see legal problems arising for people who are found to be notionally unlicensed when they are stopped for other matters during that hiatus period, and I wonder whether the Minister has fully considered that aspect. She might respond on that point on the advice of her advisers.
More importantly, it occurred to me only a few moments ago that the effect of withdrawing a licence like that, by administrative fiat, for workers - particularly courier drivers and transport drivers - is automatically to deprive such a person of his or her livelihood, because we have not ever properly enforced the change of address notification provisions in the Motor Traffic Act.
I am sure the International Labour Organisation conventions provide, among other things, that no-one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his or her right to work or access to work. I have not been able to lay my hands on them in the few minutes since this problem occurred to me. I am concerned about the effect of this legislation in terms of a working person, such as a truck driver, who will get the sack straightaway from most companies without a licence. I am concerned about the effect on the families and, overall, I am concerned about the image of this Territory in terms of bringing in legislation that could result in an arbitrary withdrawal of the capacity to undertake employment.
I believe that this Bill should go to the scrutiny of Bills committee of the Assembly. We have got to realise that every one of us here has probably had a 16-hour working week for as long as we know, and the fact of the matter is that we are not adequately placed - - -
Mrs Grassby: Day.
MR COLLAERY: Day, sorry - my apologies.
Mr Wood: It is showing.
MR COLLAERY: It is. Thank you, Mr Wood, for rescuing me. I ask the Minister whether she will comment at this stage on those points I have raised. It is probably a little unfair, but perhaps Mr Moore has received a briefing, because I think he still has space to talk on this Bill. Clearly there are questions. I may be wrong, but it seems
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