Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2007-11-22 Daily Xml

Contents

MOTOR VEHICLES (MISCELLANEOUS) AMENDMENT BILL

Final Stages

The House of Assembly agreed to the bill with the amendments indicated by the following schedule, to which amendments the House of Assembly desires the concurrence of the Legislative Council:

Clause 6, page 4, line 15—Delete '1' and substitute '12'

Consideration in committee.

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: I move:

That the House of Assembly's amendment be agreed to.

This amendment corrects a clerical error that has been in the bill unnoticed since the bill was formatted for introduction into the Legislative Council. Section 81B(11a) of the Motor Vehicles Act provides for persons to be given a notice disqualifying the person from holding or obtaining a permit or licence for 12 months if the person commits the offence of contravening a condition of a provisional or probationary licence, or expiates such an offence, or incurs four or more demerit points in respect of offences committed while the holder of such a licence.

Currently, section 81B(11a) provides for a notice of disqualification to take effect on the day specified in the notice. Clause 6 of the bill amends that section so that the notice takes effect in accordance with new section 139BD. The change to section 81B(11a) is consequential on new section 139BD and was not intended to alter the 12-month disqualification period. The clerical error, if not corrected, would have the effect of reducing the period of disqualification from 12 months to one month.

The office of parliamentary counsel makes every effort to avoid the occurrence of such errors in the preparation of draft legislation but, from to time, such errors do occur. Fortunately, the error was discovered in time for it to be corrected during the passage of the bill, with the indulgence and cooperation of members in both chambers. I thank all members for making it possible for us to make this amendment, and I appreciate their cooperation in this matter.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: The opposition is aware that errors by parliamentary counsel are infinitely rarer than our own, and the opposition is happy to support the passage of this bill.

Motion carried.