Mr KNIGHT - 2006-11-28
We all acknowledge that fishing is the lure of the Territory and that it makes a significant contribution to our great lifestyle …
Mrs Braham: Who is writing these questions? They are terrible.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Braitling, cease interjecting. Order!
Mr KNIGHT: Are you aware of the outrageous proposal to ban drinking on boats?
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! Please pause, minister. Order! Minister.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his question. Yes, I am aware of the proposal to ban drinking while boating. Recently, on the ABC radio, the member for Katherine was very emphatic. She was asked: ‘As the shadow minister for Transport and Infrastructure, why do you think fishers need to be breath tested?’ This was her answer: ‘I don’t see why they should be treated any differently to any other person who operates a vehicle of any sort, on the land or on the ocean’.
It could not be any clearer: the CLP supports having our police chasing boats around the harbour with breathalysers and setting up random breath testing stations on our boat ramps. It is not a plan that we support. I can assure Territorians who want to enjoy a day on the harbour or chasing barra on the Daly: your lifestyle is safe under us; unlike the member for Katherine, who has threatened to seize boats. That is the penalty she was going to impose.
When asked in the same interview of the penalties she had in mind, she said, and I quote: ‘I believe they should have their boats taken away from them. Take their boats off them!’
We want to encourage people to enjoy our great lifestyle, and encourage tourists to come and enjoy our fishing in the Territory, so we will not be setting up breathalysing apparatus across our waterways, and we will not be threatening to confiscate their boats.
Under Territory legislation, there is adequate provision for safety on our waterways and, if people behave irresponsibly, there are existing offences that carry severe penalties. Under marine regulations, it is already an offence to operate a boat recklessly. However, anglers in the Territory have demonstrated over a long period of time that they are responsible when it comes to recreational boating. We think that the police have better things to do than to skulk around boat ramps at weekends, searching people’s eskies and getting them to blow in the breathalyser.
Mrs Braham: Who is writing these questions? They are terrible.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Braitling, cease interjecting. Order!
Mr KNIGHT: Are you aware of the outrageous proposal to ban drinking on boats?
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! Please pause, minister. Order! Minister.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his question. Yes, I am aware of the proposal to ban drinking while boating. Recently, on the ABC radio, the member for Katherine was very emphatic. She was asked: ‘As the shadow minister for Transport and Infrastructure, why do you think fishers need to be breath tested?’ This was her answer: ‘I don’t see why they should be treated any differently to any other person who operates a vehicle of any sort, on the land or on the ocean’.
It could not be any clearer: the CLP supports having our police chasing boats around the harbour with breathalysers and setting up random breath testing stations on our boat ramps. It is not a plan that we support. I can assure Territorians who want to enjoy a day on the harbour or chasing barra on the Daly: your lifestyle is safe under us; unlike the member for Katherine, who has threatened to seize boats. That is the penalty she was going to impose.
When asked in the same interview of the penalties she had in mind, she said, and I quote: ‘I believe they should have their boats taken away from them. Take their boats off them!’
We want to encourage people to enjoy our great lifestyle, and encourage tourists to come and enjoy our fishing in the Territory, so we will not be setting up breathalysing apparatus across our waterways, and we will not be threatening to confiscate their boats.
Under Territory legislation, there is adequate provision for safety on our waterways and, if people behave irresponsibly, there are existing offences that carry severe penalties. Under marine regulations, it is already an offence to operate a boat recklessly. However, anglers in the Territory have demonstrated over a long period of time that they are responsible when it comes to recreational boating. We think that the police have better things to do than to skulk around boat ramps at weekends, searching people’s eskies and getting them to blow in the breathalyser.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016