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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 14 Hansard (11 December) . . Page.. 5025 ..

MR WHITECROSS (continuing):

on the road on that particular day. Just as we ruled on prevalence before, just as we ruled in relation to the amendments on alcohol and drugs which the Minister brought forward before, so we should today insist that the law should be fair, even-handed and not hedged around with arbitrary decisions by Ministers.

MR OSBORNE: I seek leave to speak again.

Leave granted.

Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, can I just raise a point of clarification? Those speakers who are speaking after the close of the debate should also acknowledge that the mover of the motion should be able to respond to any new material that he wishes so to do.

MR SPEAKER: There is no point of order.

MR OSBORNE : Mr Speaker, I might wait for Ms Tucker. Do you want to hear this?

MR SPEAKER: Mr Osborne, you are addressing the Assembly. You are not addressing the gallery.

MR OSBORNE: There are a couple of important points that I want to make. The first is about public perception. If we do a turnaround on the issue of double demerit points so close to when they are to kick in, it will be very damaging. There is no doubt in my mind that when people get booked they are more concerned about losing points than they are about paying the fine. This is not about revenue raising. It is about points. There is a huge education factor here. We are educating people about the dangers of speeding and about the dangers on the road. If we can make them more aware by making them realise that if they speed, drink and drive or do any of the things mentioned here they will lose double the points. As I said earlier, when I have discussions with people who have been booked, very rarely does the issue of cost come up. The issue is how many points they have lost and how many they have left before they lose their licence.

There is no doubt that Christmas is a dangerous period. Mr Whitecross, the hero of the police, said that that is because there are more cars on the road. No doubt that is true. If we have more cars on the road but all the people in the cars are aware that, if they do something wrong they will lose double the points, then I think the exercise is well worth it. I do not know whether this is the answer. Road safety is multifaceted and this is only one facet that we need to explore.

When I worked in the police, we hated Christmas and holiday weekends. I was on the ground, unlike the champion of the police over there, Mr Whitecross. I have worked as a policeman and I know what it is like. I used to hate Christmas. There were more cars on the road and there were more accidents. I recall a Christmas Day when I had to go and tell someone that someone had died in an accident. It was terrible. I do not know whether this is going to work. I do not think there is one answer to anything. You need to take different approaches.

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