HOON DRIVING LAWS

Mr KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens) (14:53): Can the Attorney-General inform the house how the hoon driving laws in the Criminal Law (Clamping, Impounding, and Forfeiture of Vehicles ) Act , which came into effect in December, are making a difference on our roads?

The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON (Croydon—Attorney-General, Minister for Justice, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (15:54): I thank member for West Torrens for this interesting question. I am pleased to advise the house that, in mid-January this year, the Acting Commissioner of Police provided figures showing that these laws are being used to keep hoons and drink drivers off our roads. As at 17 January 2008, the Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police reported that, since the new legislation came into force on 16 December 2007, 96 vehicles had been impounded or wheel clamped.

Ms Chapman: This is South Australia's major crime.

The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON: The member for Bragg interjects and says, 'Oh, this is South Australia's major crime.' Obviously, the member for Bragg does not take this kind of offending seriously. It took the election of a Rann government to do something about hoon driving.

When examining the figures, we can break these down into impounding and clamping in the city and country areas. In the city nine vehicles were clamped and 44 were impounded; in the country 14 vehicles were clamped and 29 vehicles were impounded. If we consider these statistics on a daily average this means police were clamping or impounding at least three vehicles per day over about 30 days. So, the Labor Party is actually doing something about hoon driving. I think that many of you who are diligent in your electorate rounds wish not to be associated in any way in the member for Bragg's minimisation of this kind of offending.

A total of 73 vehicles were impounded, and I am advised that a total of 44 of these impoundings were related to misuse of a motor vehicle, that is, hoon driving offences. Further, eight of the 23 clampings were associated with such offences. The remaining 44 impoundings and clampings were for drink driving offences.

Anti-hoon laws have been high on this government's law and order agenda, and I make no apology to the member for Bragg for that. In the first round of anti-hoon legislation we gave police the authority to impound vehicles for 48 hours. These laws related to vehicles that were suspected of being used for hoon driving. The Premier reported, in July 2005, that from 2 May 2005 until the end of June 2005, 61 cars had been impounded under these legislative reforms.

A comparison of these figures we have today—that is, 96 vehicles impounded or clamped over one month and 61 cars impounded in almost two months—shows that these laws are making a difference. Let us add the figures from mid-December through to mid-January this year to the almost 2,000 hoon cars that were impounded and 2,500 hoon drivers who had been prosecuted under the reforms implemented in 2005 to see that this government is getting tougher on hoon drivers.

I can recall that the then member for Mawson was a supporter of what we were doing, together with the then premier, now the member for Frome, and that they were on television in the 2002 election calling for these reforms which the member for Bragg now minimises.

Mr Goldsworthy interjecting:

The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON: No wrong claims here, no wrong claims at all. Where is Robert Brokenshire these days, and what is Robert Brokenshire up to?

The SPEAKER: Point of order. The member for Finniss.

Mr PENGILLY: Relevance. I believe that the Attorney-General is debating the issue, rather than answering the question.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I ask members on my left not to interject on the Attorney-General, and I ask the Attorney-General not to respond to interjections.

The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON: Certainly, sir. But more than that, we are giving the police authority to deal with these reckless and inconsiderate drivers who disregard the safety of other road users. In 2006, the Rann government pledged to allow police to wheel clamp motor vehicles. This enables immediate action; it embarrasses the hoon and identifies them to their neighbours and passers-by. Importantly, it also ensures police resources need not be spent towing cars to police yards and the police yards need not be filled with impounded vehicles, something I would have thought the Leader of the Opposition would support.

We also promised to extend the periods vehicles could be impounded or clamped. In 2007, these pledges became law. We introduced immediate home clamping by police and impounding of a vehicle for up to seven days each. That period can then be extended by the courts for up to 90 days on application of the police. To stop an offender who has more than one vehicle, perhaps a hotted-up V8 just for show in the driveway, the police can home clamp any of their vehicles.