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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 2 Hansard (2 March) . . Page.. 538 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

Only a small percentage of the market was subject to deregulation in California. Mr Stanhope asked whether I check my facts before I come into this place. I give him the same advice. The regulator also imposed an arbitrary 10 per cent - - -

Mr Stanhope: You have had the advice? Have you got your couriers out there running this? Stop misleading the place.

MR HUMPHRIES: You are embarrassed because you have been found out, Mr Stanhope.

Mr Stanhope: I am not found out. I asked whether you were aware of reports.

MR SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Stanhope: You were not.

MR SPEAKER: I warn you, Mr Stanhope.

MR HUMPHRIES: They were not true. That is why I was not aware of them. No, Mr Speaker, I am not aware of untrue reports, if that is what Mr Stanhope's question was all about.

MR HUMPHRIES: Yesterday Mr Hargreaves asked a question about the value of parking fines forgone because of what he described as the mismanagement of court listings creating a loophole for unscrupulous motorists to exploit. Mr Speaker, the answer to his question is as follows: No matters are ever dropped due to overcrowded court lists, nor are fines forgone for such reasons. "Not reached" cases are usually adjourned to another date. However, we know of no instances where challenged parking fines have been marked "not reached" and have subsequently been adjourned. The Registrar of Motor Vehicles had 72 parking matters listed for mention on 21 January 2000. Of these, 39 were listed for court but were subsequently paid. The remaining 33 were withdrawn by the informant, the Registrar of Motor Vehicles, for reasons unrelated to any perceived overcrowding of the court list on that day.

MR SMYTH: Mr Speaker, further to Ms Tucker's question, no, it is not straight policy to refuse priority allocation based on debt. The Commissioner for Housing uses his discretion on a case-by-case basis. Debt history is only one of the matters considered.

MR SPEAKER: Members, earlier today I said I was going to make a statement at the end of question time. First of all, this question time has lasted 1 hour and 27 minutes, probably longer than most question times. Mr Rugendyke's question was undoubtedly of some length and the matter may better have been raised as a matter of public

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