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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1995 Week 11 Hansard (12 December) . . Page.. 2900 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

home or not. Many drunks behind the wheel seemed to be almost shocked to see police on main roads. That contrasts with police practice to target drivers through mobile patrols, which are highly effective but not as visible as blocking off main streets with flashing lights and beacons.

This statement focuses on the community safety aspects of alcohol use, especially in relation to drink-driving. There is a range of health and social issues associated with excessive alcohol consumption which, I acknowledge, are beyond the subject of this statement. However, I would hasten to state that nothing in this statement should be taken to condone or encourage drinking over the recommended safer levels just because the person is not driving.

The strategy this Government intends to introduce with legislation in this place soon will be multifaceted in its approach. Firstly, we aim to educate drivers about the dangers of drink-driving. The warning must be clear and unequivocal. If you drink and drive, you face three options - the courts, the hospital or the morgue. As members will have seen, graphic television advertisements have been used in other States, and a series of television ads have just begun screening in our region to promote Operation RAID, which is being conducted by Australian Federal Police and New South Wales Police over the Christmas period. In line with the education strategy I am announcing today, my colleague the Minister for Urban Services has agreed that from next year all ACT drivers licences and motor vehicle registration labels will carry a bold "Don't drink and drive" warning. So, by the end of 1997, every motor vehicle will carry a simple message to each driver not to drink and drive.

Secondly, in conjunction with Operation RAID, more police will be attending anti-drink-driving campaigns in high-profile locations. While I can apologise in advance to some motorists for the inconvenience, they should not be surprised to see police conduct regular random breath testing on major arterial roads within Canberra. If more Canberrans see that drink-driving is a high priority for our police, they will think again before they get into a car when they are over the limit. So, while I look at high-profile random breath testing as a measure to catch drink-drivers, I would rather look at it as a preventative measure to make people think again before they get behind the wheel after having a few more drinks than they should have had.

It is about time that drink-drivers realised that they are criminals and they will be treated as such. To drive this message home, the Government will be closely examining a range of measures with a view to bringing forward legislation early in the new year. We will be concentrating on increasing the penalties available to the courts for dealing with these offenders. In particular, we will be aiming to put in place the heaviest penalties in Australia, and I do not rule out the possibility of minimum penalties if that is what it takes to convince drivers just how serious and dangerous their behaviour is. At the same time, we do not want to increase the number of people going to prison for fine default, which might occur because of increased penalties. The Government is proposing, therefore, to provide for a range of options for dealing with potential fine defaulters, including civil enforcement mechanisms such as garnishee of wages and seizure of goods as well as community service orders. These options would be available for fines imposed in respect of any criminal offence.

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