STATUTES AMENDMENT AND REPEAL (BUDGET 2012) (NO. 2) BILL

Final Stages

Consideration in committee of the Legislative Council's amendments.

(Continued from 27 November 2012.)

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: I move:

That the amendments be agreed to.

With the exception of clauses 37 and 38 all clauses of this bill have been passed by the Legislative Council. Clauses 37 and 38 contain the provision that would have allowed capped costs be awarded for an offence prosecuted by the police and set out criteria magistrates must consider when making cost orders. This is not an unreasonable proposal. The proposed cap of $2,000 was, in fact, higher than the median costs awarded against police in both 2010-11 and 2011-12.

There has been a substantial increase in costs being awarded against police over recent years despite a consistently low rate, less than 2 per cent, of all briefs adjudicated by police attracting cost awards. These costs divert police resources from front-line policing. I am disappointed that the Legislative Council and the Liberal Party again oppose this measure.

Nevertheless, in order to enable the Statutes Amendment and Repeal (Budget 2012) Bill to be passed, the government will have to accept this amendment. Obviously, the government is in a position where we could not allow further delays to important provisions as part of the 2012-13 budget, particularly with regard to stamp duty concessions for inner-city apartments and other changes that were part of this legislative package.

The government had put together, I think, a very reasonable proposal and should the Liberal Party ever have the opportunity to serve on the treasury bench any time in the future, they will rue the day that they decided to abandon all tradition and seek to make amendments to budget bills.

Motion carried.