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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 4 Hansard (30 March) . . Page.. 1110 ..

MR HARGREAVES (continuing):

what the Government wants. The Labor Party acknowledges the changes the Government has made and appreciates the attempt to rectify the anomalies. However, the rule is still ambiguous and only exempts people who are paying a parking fee.

The Minister states in his letter that this rule primarily is to reduce vehicle theft and to reduce the chance of children starting vehicles and possibly causing crashes. He goes on to say that it is common in the larger Australian cities for vehicles to be stolen from places like petrol stations. I am aware of the rising vehicle theft rates in the ACT; it is something that this Government needs to deal with. I would be interested in finding out how many vehicles are stolen each year from service stations in the ACT. I expect that there would not be that many. This rule protects the interests of large insurance companies, who pay out millions of dollars each year for stolen vehicles.

Mr Speaker, it may be a sin not to lock your vehicle, but it certainly should not be a crime attracting a financial penalty. If it does happen, surely it is a matter for the insurance company and the vehicle owner, not the judiciary or the legislature. That is one of the reasons for insuring our vehicles.

It being 45 minutes after the commencement of Assembly business, the debate is interrupted in accordance with standing order 77.

Motion (by Mr Berry ) put:

That the time allotted to Assembly business be extended by 30 minutes.

The Assembly voted -

AYES, 8   	NOES, 7

Mr Berry  	Ms Carnell
Mr Corbell  	Mr Cornwell
Mr Hargreaves  	Mr Hird
Mr Osborne  	Mr Humphries
Mr Quinlan  	Mr Kaine
Mr Rugendyke  	Mr Moore
Mr Stanhope  	Mr Smyth
Ms Tucker
Question so resolved in the affirmative.

MR HARGREAVES: Thank you very much for the light relief and the lunch break.

Mr Humphries: You are wasting time there, John.

MR HARGREAVES

: You guys are absolute masters at wasting time. Since you have interrupted my train of thought I will, with your generosity, do a bit of backtracking. Mr Speaker, the Government is trying to legislate for an activity which involves

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