Page 1643 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 3 June 2014
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The bill provides that the maximum penalty for these aggravated offences is increased to 200 penalty units, two years imprisonment or both. That seems to me to be an appropriate amount that gives the court flexibility when considering whether an aggravated offence has occurred and whether that is the appropriate maximum that can be provided.
The bill also contains a consequential amendment relating to the passage of the Road Transport (Alcohol and Drugs) Amendment Bill. There is the creation of the offence of refusing to undertake an alcohol or drug screening test. The amendment gives a police officer the power to issue an immediate suspension notice to a driver who refuses to undertake an alcohol or drug screening test. It is a consequential amendment that the opposition will be supporting.
The opposition will always consider carefully and support, where appropriate, measures that are taken to make our roads safer. I think that the intent of this bill is good, and the opposition supports it in principle. But I do think we have to make sure that we do not create inconsistencies in our law, and that is why we will be moving the amendments in the detail stage.
It is worthy of note that there are many in our community that strive to make our roads safer. I would like to take this opportunity, while we are debating this important legislation, to reflect on the random roadside drug testing laws that were passed in this place in 2010. Many will recall those laws. They are laws that are now making our roads safer. This bill, in actual fact, has some effect on tightening up that legislation.
It is a very sad moment for me to reflect on the fact that Alison Ryan, who is the inspiration for those laws, and whose daughter, Amy, passed away after tragically losing her life in a road traffic accident involving a drug-affected driver, has passed away within the last 24 hours. I think it is a sad moment of reflection, but it is a reminder to us all that we should be doing whatever we can to make sure our roads are safer, to make sure, in every way we can, that people can drive on the roads without fear that they are going to be killed or catastrophically injured by someone driving dangerously.
In principle, we are right behind these laws, but, as I said, there are two inconsistencies in this legislation, and we will be moving amendments.
MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo—Minister for Territory and Municipal Services, Minister for Corrections, Minister for Housing, Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs and Minister for Ageing) (10.34): I am pleased to support the Road Transport Legislation Amendment Bill, which makes important changes to help protect road users from some of the more dangerous and aggressive behaviour that can threaten their safety on the road. The Greens are strong supporters of road safety, of reducing the trauma that occurs on ACT roads every year through the thousands of crashes and injuries that unfortunately occur. Driver behaviour is certainly one of several factors in a multipronged approach to improving road safety. To a large degree, driver behaviour rests with the individual, but it also rests with government and initiatives such as education and training and appropriate regulation and sanctions.
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