What has the Governmentdone to ensure

As I understand this case, thisyoung man was attempting, on the facts, to turn his lifearound, had demonstrated he was doing so, and none of thosefines were related to violent crime, but to trafficinfringements. Darren Hughes: What has the Governmentdone to ensure that fines are effectively Rosetta Stone software collected? Hon. MARGARET WILSON: The Government has just invested $36million additional funding over 4 years to improve finecollection. The injection of funding will enable thedepartment to collect an additional $90 million over 4years, $22 million of which will be reparation payments forvictims of crime. Ultimately, the new system will allowfines collection to keep pace with the trend towardssteadily growing impositions--improving the credibility ofthe fine as a sanction. Dail Jones: When will theMinister take action to ensure that the law will be changedand judges given the power so that when criminals do not paythe fine they do do the time, instead of this Government'scurrent soft approach to criminals, who are getting awayscot-free with many thousands of dollars owing on fines? Hon. MARGARET WILSON: As the honourable member will be awarefrom his legal practice, it is only in rare events that thecourt will impose a sentence as opposed to paying of thefine if that has not been done. It has been apparent fromthe changes that have been made by the Government to thelaws that relate to sentencing that we are serious aboutensuring serious criminals are given sentences consistentwith their crime, while at the same time recognising thatunder our judicial system individuals are entitled to havetheir facts addressed by the court. Dr Muriel Newman:Does the Minister believe it is appropriate that a man whohas more than 40 criminal convictions for aggravatedrobbery, assault, threatening behaviour, injury with intent,fraud, resisting arrest, possession of cannabis, fighting,and burglary should have his unpaid fines wiped in returnfor an afternoon in the cells, a rate of $2,500 an hour, ifnot, will she support a ministerial review on this case?[Interruption] Mr SPEAKER: The Minister has not had achance to say even one word. There will be a lot more quietbetween questions and answers. There has been a lot ofsilliness today. Hon. Trevor Mallard: I raise a pointof order, Mr Speaker. Before the Minister got a word out,after your comments to the Opposition, Mr Brownleeinterjected, as he has every single time a woman Ministerhas attempted to answer a question today. Mr SPEAKER:That point of order is Rosetta Stone Italian not terribly helpful because of oneword in the answer. However, I have observed Mr Brownlee'sinterjections, and he does overdo it. Before the answer isstarted I ask him to allow the Minister to answer thequestion. Hon. MARGARET WILSON: For the benefit of themember I will repeat the answer I gave before. In fact, thissentence did not relate to the crimes that she read out. Itrelated to traffic infringements. Sentencing was on thoseother crimes, and was served. The member has confused twodifferent situations. Hon. Tony Ryall: Has the Ministergiven any thought to renaming the ``pay up or we will trackyou down'' scheme to something more accurate like the ``payup or we will track you down and make you spend a few hoursrelaxing in the prison cells, wiping off your fines at atune of $2,500 an hour'' scheme, and what sort of messagedoes that send to victims potentially at risk from thisman's behaviour? Hon. MARGARET WILSON: As the memberwill be aware, this is not a matter that happens rarely,unfortunately it happens too often. I would like to draw thehonourable member's attention to the fact that when he wasMinister of Justice there were outstanding fines of over$73,000 also remitted. In the same instances they wererelating mostly, but not entirely, to traffic infringementnotices. Of course we would prefer this situation not tooccur, as I am sure he would, so why did the honourablemember not change the law when he had the opportunity to doso? No, he was prepared to let this situation continue. Gordon Copeland: Does the Minister have plans to ensure thatwhen fines are written off, alternative punishment such ascommunity service is ordered by the courts, if not, whynot? Hon. MARGARET WILSON: Yes, in Rosetta Stone Japanese appropriateinstances. Where there is an inability to be able to pay afine, community service is in fact awarded by the courtswhere that is appropriate. Hon. Tony Ryall: I seekleave to table an official report that shows the amount offines collected by the Department for Courts under thisGovernment has declined in the last year. Document, byleave, laid on the Table of the House.