Page 3951 - Week 14 - Tuesday, 23 October 1990
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to drive quite well. You would need to at that speed. So I think we have a responsibility not to tax people for exceeding the speed limit. Where do you usually find radar traps set up? I do not particularly believe they are set up at those areas where it is dangerous to exceed the speed limit.
Mrs Nolan: Dennis, you used to be a policeman. You would know where you set them up.
MR STEVENSON: Absolutely. I know where they are set up and that is why I make the point. They are set up where the police know they are going to raise the greatest amount of revenue. You just made the point, Mrs Nolan. You have to accept the fact that I do know. We have another responsibility when it comes to signs. I think the speed signs should be very clear. Signs of two sizes are used. There is a small one and a large one. I think the larger one should always be used when there is a change of speed limit. That is not the case but it should be.
As for the suggestion that this might be a CPI increase, most people that I speak to do not think that the fines should be as high as they are in other States. The fact that governments in other States have rammed high fines through is not a reason why we should do the same thing. I grant they are very high there. I think we should put attention on road safety and not road revenue. We should teach people to drive; we should put up adequate signs. We have a responsibility to make sure that the speed limits for certain sections of roads are correct, and they are not in all cases. This is something that I intend to take on board and find out those areas where changes could be made to increase safety.
MR DUBY (Minister for Finance and Urban Services) (9.38), in reply: Mr Speaker, I must admit that I am pleased with the general support which has been voiced by the Assembly as a whole for the measures that this Bill introduces.
Mr Moore: By the Alliance, you mean.
MR DUBY: Whilst Mr Moore makes a comment that the support has been given by the Alliance, I will be very surprised if Mr Moore chooses to vote against this piece of legislation. As a matter of fact, Mr Moore's main - - -
Mr Stefaniak: He is thinking about it. Careful.
MR DUBY: Well, that will look good on the record. Mr Moore's main objection to this particular piece of legislation is that he treats it as a revenue item rather than something which merely allows for on-the-spot fines to be increased so that they become a realistic level of penalty, something commensurate with that which exists in other States, particularly in New South Wales. He expressed concern about the extent of the increase in these fines, these traffic infringement notices. The level of
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