Mr BARRETT - 2015-08-26
Can you please provide an update on the new fine enforcement measures that will be implemented by the Fines Recovery Unit?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, last night we passed legislation that will soon go to the Administrator for assent, which will enable the Northern Territory government to more stridently pursue the outstanding fines in our community. There are currently some $58m worth of fines, with some 63 000 fine defaulters attached to those fines. A total of 666 of those defaulters have fines in excess of $10 000.
As a government, we must acknowledge if a person racks up $10 000 worth of fines, they must, at some point or other, have decided to abandon their duty to make good their failures as citizens of our jurisdiction. As a consequence of that, over the past years we have offered a number of ways for people to deal with their fines if they find themselves in environments of hardship. Those fines systems include telling people if they are having trouble paying their fines. For goodness’ sake, see the Fines Recovery Unit. We will find a way for you to pay it off over time, or we will make good some sort of community service to cut out fines that way.
Some people do not care because they have racked up over $10 000 worth of fines. As a consequence of that, yesterday we passed legislation which enabled, amongst other things, a naming and shaming of a person in the public domain. If there are people, such as people in the public service, who have more than $10 000 worth of fines – and sadly one person we dealt with recently was in that boat – that is one way we can ensure people start paying their fines to the community.
The second way is the seizure of property and holding that property in abeyance until such time as those fines are paid off. The other option is wheel clamping cars. Our system will allow, by bailiffs or other means, the clamping of people’s wheels until such time as they pay their fines.
Under the old system, which still exists, a warrant of commitment was issued and you can be arrested for non-payment of fines. Alternatively, rather than arresting you we can arrest your car. This is because we are a government that responds to challenges in the area of crime, no matter where it is on the scale.
The solution of the members opposite is to send them a letter. They will send a letter to those with $10 000 worth of fines. What do you think they will do with that letter? Once again, we can see Labor’s attitude of being soft on crime. If you commit a murder, under the Labor Party you will get a stern letter, possibly even an e-mail, because the members opposite have only one solution, which is to send a letter.
Maybe it should be a stern letter; maybe it should be a letter written in font size 14 in Comic Sans MS. Sooner or later you have to say to a person, ‘You are wrong; we will take action against you.’ You will never get that from the Labor Party.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, last night we passed legislation that will soon go to the Administrator for assent, which will enable the Northern Territory government to more stridently pursue the outstanding fines in our community. There are currently some $58m worth of fines, with some 63 000 fine defaulters attached to those fines. A total of 666 of those defaulters have fines in excess of $10 000.
As a government, we must acknowledge if a person racks up $10 000 worth of fines, they must, at some point or other, have decided to abandon their duty to make good their failures as citizens of our jurisdiction. As a consequence of that, over the past years we have offered a number of ways for people to deal with their fines if they find themselves in environments of hardship. Those fines systems include telling people if they are having trouble paying their fines. For goodness’ sake, see the Fines Recovery Unit. We will find a way for you to pay it off over time, or we will make good some sort of community service to cut out fines that way.
Some people do not care because they have racked up over $10 000 worth of fines. As a consequence of that, yesterday we passed legislation which enabled, amongst other things, a naming and shaming of a person in the public domain. If there are people, such as people in the public service, who have more than $10 000 worth of fines – and sadly one person we dealt with recently was in that boat – that is one way we can ensure people start paying their fines to the community.
The second way is the seizure of property and holding that property in abeyance until such time as those fines are paid off. The other option is wheel clamping cars. Our system will allow, by bailiffs or other means, the clamping of people’s wheels until such time as they pay their fines.
Under the old system, which still exists, a warrant of commitment was issued and you can be arrested for non-payment of fines. Alternatively, rather than arresting you we can arrest your car. This is because we are a government that responds to challenges in the area of crime, no matter where it is on the scale.
The solution of the members opposite is to send them a letter. They will send a letter to those with $10 000 worth of fines. What do you think they will do with that letter? Once again, we can see Labor’s attitude of being soft on crime. If you commit a murder, under the Labor Party you will get a stern letter, possibly even an e-mail, because the members opposite have only one solution, which is to send a letter.
Maybe it should be a stern letter; maybe it should be a letter written in font size 14 in Comic Sans MS. Sooner or later you have to say to a person, ‘You are wrong; we will take action against you.’ You will never get that from the Labor Party.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016