Page 1586 - Week 04 - Thursday, 25 March 2010
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In essence, this bill legislates into law the existing code of practice for the motor vehicle repair industry. The code sets out valid protections for consumers. However, since the code commenced in 1999, experience has shown that there are difficulties in enforcing those protections, as I have already alluded to. By legislating the code into law, the protections will be guaranteed and fully enforceable.
To achieve that enforceability, business owners will be licensed. Licence conditions will then require the business owners to do certain things, such as provide estimated costs for mechanical repairs and provide updates if future work is found to be needed. These are important protections for the consumer and they will be better protected after these changes are put in place.
The stumbling block in getting to an acceptable bill today has been the question of just how far the government should go in licensing mechanics. This bill will license business owners but will not require their employees to be licensed. Part of the vehicle repair industry has strongly argued that the ACT should license all participants in the industry.
The government, in discussing this with us, have indicated they have been reluctant to embrace that fuller licensing model without a greater understanding of the costs involved and who would bear those costs. The fuller model would require all mechanics to be trained to a certain level. The training required would be provided by an organisation who would charge participants. This cost would ultimately be borne either by the mechanic, their boss, or passed on to the customer.
I agree with the government that careful thought is needed before the next step in the reform is taken. However, I do also understand those in the industry who want greater control over what training mechanics must undertake. There is the desire by people in the industry to improve the quality of work done and, in the process, improve the reputation of the industry overall.
That issue of whether or not the government would do the work necessary to prepare for the next step was not addressed in the original bill. Understandably, the industry wanted guidance on when and how the next step would be taken. The amendments that the government is bringing in will address those questions, and I will provide more comments on those amendments at a later stage in the debate today.
For now, I conclude by saying that the Greens support this bill and the increased protection for customers that it will bring about.
MR HARGREAVES (Brindabella) (5.23): Madam Assistant Speaker—I will defer to Mr Corbell for the right to speak.
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Water, Minister for Energy and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (5.24): I thank members for their comments on the bill.
The Fair Trading (Motor Vehicle Repair Industry) Bill will provide for the licensing and regulation of persons in the motor vehicle repair industry. The industry is
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