Page 613 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 24 February 2010
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
instance, but it is most alarming that, of the 1,800, one-third or nearly one-third were repeat drink-drive offenders.
It is in that context and as a result of growing concern within the government and indeed within agencies such as ACT Policing and the courts that our attempts at deterrence, most particularly, are simply not being successful, and advice to the government through an extensive consultative program in relation to this proposed raft of law reform, particularly involving the police, the DPP, the courts and a range of other stakeholders reflected most particularly in the roundtables on road safety that the government has now convened, we have determined that we should now develop legislation that seeks to change the culture, the culture of complacency as I have previously described it, around, most particularly, drink driving.
The government, therefore, does propose to remove some of the access rights to a restricted licence. We do propose for first-time offenders that a first-time offender who exceeds the applicable blood alcohol limit by more than double, by more than 0.05, should not be eligible for a restricted licence, and that all repeat drink-driver offenders should not be eligible for a restricted licence. We propose to amend the definition of “repeat offender”. There have been loopholes, we believe, where a person previously charged and convicted of drink driving for five years subsequent to a repeat offence is not categorised as a repeat offender, and indeed that people that are charged with drink driving where guilt is established but no conviction recorded are also not included within our understanding of repeat offender. It is proposed that the allowable blood alcohol limit for special drivers, including learner drivers, heavy vehicle and public passenger vehicle drivers, and people giving driver instruction or assessment, whether professionally or otherwise, should be subject to a zero alcohol limit, and we propose to proceed with that.
It has also been decided, actually in the face of that very high level of recidivism or repeat offender behaviour in relation to drink driving, that all people that are convicted of drink driving will be required to undergo an alcohol awareness course before they can apply for a new licence; and for repeat offenders it is proposed that they undertake a formal alcohol and drug program assessment before they are eligible to apply to be relicensed. The government has also determined that police should be given the power to suspend on the spot the licence of a person who exceeds the applicable blood alcohol limit by more than double, so that they are removed from the roads immediately the offence is detected.
MR SPEAKER: Ms Porter, a supplementary question?
MS PORTER: Minister, what consultation did the government undertake when developing these anti drink driving and drug-driving initiatives?
MR STANHOPE: I thank Ms Porter for her question. The government, as I have just indicated, undertook quite extensive consultation in relation to all the initiatives it proposes. I have just outlined a number of proposed changes explicitly related to drink driving. The consultation, as I say, did include the courts, the police, the DPP, health authorities, JACS, the NRMA, the Road Safety Trust and a significant number of other very important stakeholders in relation to road safety.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video