Page 2182 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 9 May 2012
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As I have mentioned, it is also possible that during the implementation phase further legislative amendments will be identified as necessary or desirable for the effective operation of the new scheme. If that is the case, the government will pursue those issues with other parties in this place.
This bill will assist to relieve the pressure on households and individual Canberrans who experience difficulty in paying their traffic and parking penalties. It establishes a new architecture for a broadened range of options to assist people to discharge their responsibilities in relation to traffic and parking penalties whilst doing so in a socially just manner.
The government will be supporting the bill on the basis of the amendments to be proposed by Ms Bresnan later in the debate today. Can I finally indicate my thanks to Ms Bresnan and her office for the constructive manner in which we have been able to engage on this issue. This is a complex legislative drafting arrangement and I think the discussions have been both productive and considered. So thank you to Ms Bresnan.
MR COE (Ginninderra) (10.38): The bill before us today proposes to amend the Road Transport (General) Act 1999 to allow the administering authority to allow for flexible payment arrangements of traffic infringements and penalties and allow for the reinstatement of a drivers licence that may have been suspended following the non-payment of fines. The bill also supports community work programs as an alternative to financial penalties and provides an ability for fines to be waived.
The Greens claim that the current system is inflexible and does not consider people who are disadvantaged through low income, homelessness, addiction, illness or disability when it comes to the payment of infringements. Currently a person has a prescribed amount of time to pay a penalty and regardless of circumstances has their licence suspended if they do not pay. The prescribed amount of time can be extended through application by up to six months as it currently stands. There are a number of other mechanisms that people can apply for when they cannot pay, which include disputing the liability, applying for an extension to pay and making a request to withdraw the infringement.
The key changes in this bill today as proposed by Ms Bresnan are as follows: (1) the payment of fines by instalments—the bill gives the option to pay the fine in part-payments for a period of six months; (2) the payment of fines by community work or social development orders—that is, the bill supports a scheme whereby certain people would be able to pay fines through community work; (3) the waiving of fines in special circumstances—that is, giving an option for some people to have the fine completely waived; (4) the option to have the licence reinstated. This will give the Road Transport Authority the power to reinstate a person’s fine-suspended licence. However, I understand that this would be amended to the Director-General of the Justice and Community Safety Directorate. And (5) is an option to apply for a review of decisions through ACAT.
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