Hansard debates

Search Hansard
Search help



 

Legislative Assembly
 
Transport (Compliance and Miscellaneous) Amendment (Public Safety) Bill 2016

07 June 2016
Second reading
SUZANNA SHEED  (IND)

 


Ms SHEED (Shepparton) — I rise to make a very short contribution on this bill. It seems to me that there is a remarkable simplicity in a piece of legislation that repeals just one section. I have had the opportunity to be briefed by both the minister and her advisers. I have also had the opportunity of viewing the Solicitor-General's advice on this issue. My understanding is that the advice to government is that it should act immediately and that there are serious issues of public safety in not doing so. On the basis of that I am satisfied that I will support the bill.

I think there are many times in our lives when we are prompted to act in a very rushed manner and sometimes there are very good reasons for doing so. I know in my life I have often had to telephone the police to come and intervene in circumstances where family violence is taking place nearby.

It is very easy to slip into the mentality of, 'Look, it'll settle down. I shouldn't interfere. It won't matter if we wait another hour, another 2 hours, another week, another three weeks. I should not butt in'. While this is not exactly that analogy, I think that when you are cautioned to act on something on an urgent basis or on the basis of strong legal advice, then you should do so. For those reasons I support the bill. I think there are many other issues around ridesharing and Uber that need to be addressed by this Parliament and our community more widely. We have aired those at great length this afternoon, but I do not see them as being relevant to this particular bill, and I think we should proceed with this bill promptly.