Page 2677 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 26 September 2007
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evidence across the country that too many young drivers, and indeed too many middle aged drivers—even drivers in their 30s and early 40s—are driving while drug affected. There is no getting away from it. Recreational drug taking is, unfortunately, on the increase in our society. Therefore, that must mean that too many drivers are driving while drug affected. We do not see a millimetre of movement on this government’s part to address this issue. With respect to speed cameras, I quote what Mr Hargreaves said in 1999:
Mr Speaker, the Labor Party is supportive of any program which would reduce the number of accidents on our roads. However, we do not want to see revenue from these initiatives going straight into consolidated revenue. We do not want to see a repeat of the insurance levy. It reaped $10 million. Emergency Services got $1 million, and $9 million has gone into the black hole. We do not want to see that happen with the $2.5 million …
I suppose he means collected from the speed cameras. He continued:
We want this revenue to be spent on improving our roads and on introducing new driver behaviour schemes. We will be watching the Government to ensure that the windfall from these cameras actually has an impact on enhancing our road safety.
He said that in 1999 when in opposition, whilst criticising the then government. What do we have now? We have exactly that. How is that for hypocrisy of the highest order?
Mrs Dunne: Mr Hargreaves, the revenue raiser.
MR PRATT: Mr “Revenue Raiser” himself. The installation of speed cameras on the Tuggeranong Parkway, the Barton Highway and the Monaro Highway are part of a revenue raising regime. They are not measures to increase road safety. If we were installing fixed cameras to try and avoid deaths, we would be placing those at black spot sites. I refer, for example, to Long Gully Road, about a quarter of a kilometre east of the junction with Yamba Drive, where in the last two years three motorists have been killed on sharp bends. That is a very good place for a fixed speed camera. If drivers are brought down to about 70 kilometres per hour on those S-bends, you might save lives. Why aren’t our fixed cameras going into places like that?
We are not impressed with Mr Gentleman’s motion today about road safety because, as I have just outlined, there are many measures which should have been taken and have not been taken to improve road safety. (Time expired.)
MR SPEAKER: Before I call Dr Foskey, I draw members’ attention to the Weston Creek Ladies Probus Club, members of which have joined us in the chamber today. Welcome!
DR FOSKEY (Molonglo) (12.14): It is great to see any efforts to reduce the number of accidents. Of course, public focus is particularly on the high-risk group of P platers. I think there are other issues in relation to road accidents in the ACT which need addressing. We all know that, in an ideal society, the best way we could prepare young drivers would be to put them, from a very early age, in a car in a paddock—a
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