❓ Mr. Porter questions the effectiveness of the fines enforcement system, highlighting concerns about unpaid fines and offenders disregarding penalties. Mr. McGinty acknowledges the system's shortcomings and outlines initiatives to improve enforcement, including targeting hardcore offenders and pursuing social security deductions.
AnsweredQoN 128Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
FINES ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM
I refer to the blow-out in unpaid fines in Western Australia. (1) Is it true that increasing numbers of convicted offenders in this jurisdiction, including offenders convicted of serious offences, are refusing to pay fines? (2) Is it also true that increasing numbers of offenders appear completely unconcerned with the final sanction of possibly losing a driver’s licence, and therefore that ever-increasing numbers of offenders continue to drive and thereby escape any punishment? (3) Is the present fines enforcement system working to the satisfaction of the Attorney General? Mr J.A. McGINTY
I refer to the blow-out in unpaid fines in Western Australia. (1) Is it true that increasing numbers of convicted offenders in this jurisdiction, including offenders convicted of serious offences, are refusing to pay fines? (2) Is it also true that increasing numbers of offenders appear completely unconcerned with the final sanction of possibly losing a driver’s licence, and therefore that ever-increasing numbers of offenders continue to drive and thereby escape any punishment? (3) Is the present fines enforcement system working to the satisfaction of the Attorney General? Mr J.A. McGINTY
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(3) I think the answer to the last question is that we can always do a lot better when it comes to implementing the scheme that was brought about by the Liberal government back in the mid-1990s, when the fines enforcement regime, as it is currently in place, was introduced by, if I remember correctly, my very good friend Cheryl Edwardes when she was Attorney General. We are always looking at ways in which that matter can be improved, and we have taken some initiatives. I think the member has alluded to some hardcore offenders who seemingly thumb their noses at the law when it comes to their obligation to pay fines and things of that nature. We have established within the Sheriff’s Office a task force to target those hardcore offenders and to look at issues such as getting an order attached to their social security payments to make sure that they pay those fines by means of a regular deduction. Often these people, as the member would be aware, do not have property that is capable of being seized to satisfy the debts that are outstanding. Mr C.C. Porter : Has that ever happened? Has a social security payment ever been garnisheed in this jurisdiction? Mr J.A. McGINTY : There have certainly been orders attached to it for direct payment in a very — Mr C.C. Porter : Has it ever happened? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Yes, in a very large number of cases. I have written to the commonwealth minister responsible for this area and requested that the commonwealth enter into a cooperative arrangement with the state government to enable state courts to directly issue orders garnisheeing the social security payments of offenders who are unlikely to pay their fines as a means of actually extracting those fines, rather than looking at alternatives to payment. That is a matter that I have discussed with the commonwealth—I have written to it—and it is something that I am hopeful of getting a favourable response to, because I do not think anyone should be able to avoid their obligations to pay their fines. Mr C.C. Porter : But you say that is already happening now. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Having deductions made from social security payments—to a very significant degree, yes.
(1) Is it true that increasing numbers of convicted offenders in this jurisdiction, including offenders convicted of serious offences, are refusing to pay fines? (2) Is it also true that increasing numbers of offenders appear completely unconcerned with the final sanction of possibly losing a driver’s licence, and therefore that ever-increasing numbers of offenders continue to drive and thereby escape any punishment? (3) Is the present fines enforcement system working to the satisfaction of the Attorney General? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(3) I think the answer to the last question is that we can always do a lot better when it comes to implementing the scheme that was brought about by the Liberal government back in the mid-1990s, when the fines enforcement regime, as it is currently in place, was introduced by, if I remember correctly, my very good friend Cheryl Edwardes when she was Attorney General. We are always looking at ways in which that matter can be improved, and we have taken some initiatives. I think the member has alluded to some hardcore offenders who seemingly thumb their noses at the law when it comes to their obligation to pay fines and things of that nature. We have established within the Sheriff’s Office a task force to target those hardcore offenders and to look at issues such as getting an order attached to their social security payments to make sure that they pay those fines by means of a regular deduction. Often these people, as the member would be aware, do not have property that is capable of being seized to satisfy the debts that are outstanding. Mr C.C. Porter : Has that ever happened? Has a social security payment ever been garnisheed in this jurisdiction? Mr J.A. McGINTY : There have certainly been orders attached to it for direct payment in a very — Mr C.C. Porter : Has it ever happened? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Yes, in a very large number of cases. I have written to the commonwealth minister responsible for this area and requested that the commonwealth enter into a cooperative arrangement with the state government to enable state courts to directly issue orders garnisheeing the social security payments of offenders who are unlikely to pay their fines as a means of actually extracting those fines, rather than looking at alternatives to payment. That is a matter that I have discussed with the commonwealth—I have written to it—and it is something that I am hopeful of getting a favourable response to, because I do not think anyone should be able to avoid their obligations to pay their fines. Mr C.C. Porter : But you say that is already happening now. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Having deductions made from social security payments—to a very significant degree, yes.
(2) Is it also true that increasing numbers of offenders appear completely unconcerned with the final sanction of possibly losing a driver’s licence, and therefore that ever-increasing numbers of offenders continue to drive and thereby escape any punishment? (3) Is the present fines enforcement system working to the satisfaction of the Attorney General? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(3) I think the answer to the last question is that we can always do a lot better when it comes to implementing the scheme that was brought about by the Liberal government back in the mid-1990s, when the fines enforcement regime, as it is currently in place, was introduced by, if I remember correctly, my very good friend Cheryl Edwardes when she was Attorney General. We are always looking at ways in which that matter can be improved, and we have taken some initiatives. I think the member has alluded to some hardcore offenders who seemingly thumb their noses at the law when it comes to their obligation to pay fines and things of that nature. We have established within the Sheriff’s Office a task force to target those hardcore offenders and to look at issues such as getting an order attached to their social security payments to make sure that they pay those fines by means of a regular deduction. Often these people, as the member would be aware, do not have property that is capable of being seized to satisfy the debts that are outstanding. Mr C.C. Porter : Has that ever happened? Has a social security payment ever been garnisheed in this jurisdiction? Mr J.A. McGINTY : There have certainly been orders attached to it for direct payment in a very — Mr C.C. Porter : Has it ever happened? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Yes, in a very large number of cases. I have written to the commonwealth minister responsible for this area and requested that the commonwealth enter into a cooperative arrangement with the state government to enable state courts to directly issue orders garnisheeing the social security payments of offenders who are unlikely to pay their fines as a means of actually extracting those fines, rather than looking at alternatives to payment. That is a matter that I have discussed with the commonwealth—I have written to it—and it is something that I am hopeful of getting a favourable response to, because I do not think anyone should be able to avoid their obligations to pay their fines. Mr C.C. Porter : But you say that is already happening now. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Having deductions made from social security payments—to a very significant degree, yes.
(3) Is the present fines enforcement system working to the satisfaction of the Attorney General? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(3) I think the answer to the last question is that we can always do a lot better when it comes to implementing the scheme that was brought about by the Liberal government back in the mid-1990s, when the fines enforcement regime, as it is currently in place, was introduced by, if I remember correctly, my very good friend Cheryl Edwardes when she was Attorney General. We are always looking at ways in which that matter can be improved, and we have taken some initiatives. I think the member has alluded to some hardcore offenders who seemingly thumb their noses at the law when it comes to their obligation to pay fines and things of that nature. We have established within the Sheriff’s Office a task force to target those hardcore offenders and to look at issues such as getting an order attached to their social security payments to make sure that they pay those fines by means of a regular deduction. Often these people, as the member would be aware, do not have property that is capable of being seized to satisfy the debts that are outstanding. Mr C.C. Porter : Has that ever happened? Has a social security payment ever been garnisheed in this jurisdiction? Mr J.A. McGINTY : There have certainly been orders attached to it for direct payment in a very — Mr C.C. Porter : Has it ever happened? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Yes, in a very large number of cases. I have written to the commonwealth minister responsible for this area and requested that the commonwealth enter into a cooperative arrangement with the state government to enable state courts to directly issue orders garnisheeing the social security payments of offenders who are unlikely to pay their fines as a means of actually extracting those fines, rather than looking at alternatives to payment. That is a matter that I have discussed with the commonwealth—I have written to it—and it is something that I am hopeful of getting a favourable response to, because I do not think anyone should be able to avoid their obligations to pay their fines. Mr C.C. Porter : But you say that is already happening now. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Having deductions made from social security payments—to a very significant degree, yes.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(3) I think the answer to the last question is that we can always do a lot better when it comes to implementing the scheme that was brought about by the Liberal government back in the mid-1990s, when the fines enforcement regime, as it is currently in place, was introduced by, if I remember correctly, my very good friend Cheryl Edwardes when she was Attorney General. We are always looking at ways in which that matter can be improved, and we have taken some initiatives. I think the member has alluded to some hardcore offenders who seemingly thumb their noses at the law when it comes to their obligation to pay fines and things of that nature. We have established within the Sheriff’s Office a task force to target those hardcore offenders and to look at issues such as getting an order attached to their social security payments to make sure that they pay those fines by means of a regular deduction. Often these people, as the member would be aware, do not have property that is capable of being seized to satisfy the debts that are outstanding. Mr C.C. Porter : Has that ever happened? Has a social security payment ever been garnisheed in this jurisdiction? Mr J.A. McGINTY : There have certainly been orders attached to it for direct payment in a very — Mr C.C. Porter : Has it ever happened? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Yes, in a very large number of cases. I have written to the commonwealth minister responsible for this area and requested that the commonwealth enter into a cooperative arrangement with the state government to enable state courts to directly issue orders garnisheeing the social security payments of offenders who are unlikely to pay their fines as a means of actually extracting those fines, rather than looking at alternatives to payment. That is a matter that I have discussed with the commonwealth—I have written to it—and it is something that I am hopeful of getting a favourable response to, because I do not think anyone should be able to avoid their obligations to pay their fines. Mr C.C. Porter : But you say that is already happening now. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Having deductions made from social security payments—to a very significant degree, yes.
(1)-(3) I think the answer to the last question is that we can always do a lot better when it comes to implementing the scheme that was brought about by the Liberal government back in the mid-1990s, when the fines enforcement regime, as it is currently in place, was introduced by, if I remember correctly, my very good friend Cheryl Edwardes when she was Attorney General. We are always looking at ways in which that matter can be improved, and we have taken some initiatives. I think the member has alluded to some hardcore offenders who seemingly thumb their noses at the law when it comes to their obligation to pay fines and things of that nature. We have established within the Sheriff’s Office a task force to target those hardcore offenders and to look at issues such as getting an order attached to their social security payments to make sure that they pay those fines by means of a regular deduction. Often these people, as the member would be aware, do not have property that is capable of being seized to satisfy the debts that are outstanding. Mr C.C. Porter : Has that ever happened? Has a social security payment ever been garnisheed in this jurisdiction? Mr J.A. McGINTY : There have certainly been orders attached to it for direct payment in a very — Mr C.C. Porter : Has it ever happened? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Yes, in a very large number of cases. I have written to the commonwealth minister responsible for this area and requested that the commonwealth enter into a cooperative arrangement with the state government to enable state courts to directly issue orders garnisheeing the social security payments of offenders who are unlikely to pay their fines as a means of actually extracting those fines, rather than looking at alternatives to payment. That is a matter that I have discussed with the commonwealth—I have written to it—and it is something that I am hopeful of getting a favourable response to, because I do not think anyone should be able to avoid their obligations to pay their fines. Mr C.C. Porter : But you say that is already happening now. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Having deductions made from social security payments—to a very significant degree, yes.
Mr C.C. Porter : Has that ever happened? Has a social security payment ever been garnisheed in this jurisdiction? Mr J.A. McGINTY : There have certainly been orders attached to it for direct payment in a very — Mr C.C. Porter : Has it ever happened? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Yes, in a very large number of cases. I have written to the commonwealth minister responsible for this area and requested that the commonwealth enter into a cooperative arrangement with the state government to enable state courts to directly issue orders garnisheeing the social security payments of offenders who are unlikely to pay their fines as a means of actually extracting those fines, rather than looking at alternatives to payment. That is a matter that I have discussed with the commonwealth—I have written to it—and it is something that I am hopeful of getting a favourable response to, because I do not think anyone should be able to avoid their obligations to pay their fines. Mr C.C. Porter : But you say that is already happening now. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Having deductions made from social security payments—to a very significant degree, yes.
Mr J.A. McGINTY : There have certainly been orders attached to it for direct payment in a very — Mr C.C. Porter : Has it ever happened? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Yes, in a very large number of cases. I have written to the commonwealth minister responsible for this area and requested that the commonwealth enter into a cooperative arrangement with the state government to enable state courts to directly issue orders garnisheeing the social security payments of offenders who are unlikely to pay their fines as a means of actually extracting those fines, rather than looking at alternatives to payment. That is a matter that I have discussed with the commonwealth—I have written to it—and it is something that I am hopeful of getting a favourable response to, because I do not think anyone should be able to avoid their obligations to pay their fines. Mr C.C. Porter : But you say that is already happening now. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Having deductions made from social security payments—to a very significant degree, yes.
Mr C.C. Porter : Has it ever happened? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Yes, in a very large number of cases. I have written to the commonwealth minister responsible for this area and requested that the commonwealth enter into a cooperative arrangement with the state government to enable state courts to directly issue orders garnisheeing the social security payments of offenders who are unlikely to pay their fines as a means of actually extracting those fines, rather than looking at alternatives to payment. That is a matter that I have discussed with the commonwealth—I have written to it—and it is something that I am hopeful of getting a favourable response to, because I do not think anyone should be able to avoid their obligations to pay their fines. Mr C.C. Porter : But you say that is already happening now. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Having deductions made from social security payments—to a very significant degree, yes.
Mr J.A. McGINTY : Yes, in a very large number of cases. I have written to the commonwealth minister responsible for this area and requested that the commonwealth enter into a cooperative arrangement with the state government to enable state courts to directly issue orders garnisheeing the social security payments of offenders who are unlikely to pay their fines as a means of actually extracting those fines, rather than looking at alternatives to payment. That is a matter that I have discussed with the commonwealth—I have written to it—and it is something that I am hopeful of getting a favourable response to, because I do not think anyone should be able to avoid their obligations to pay their fines. Mr C.C. Porter : But you say that is already happening now. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Having deductions made from social security payments—to a very significant degree, yes.
Mr C.C. Porter : But you say that is already happening now. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Having deductions made from social security payments—to a very significant degree, yes.
Mr J.A. McGINTY : Having deductions made from social security payments—to a very significant degree, yes.
(1) Is it true that increasing numbers of convicted offenders in this jurisdiction, including offenders convicted of serious offences, are refusing to pay fines? (2) Is it also true that increasing numbers of offenders appear completely unconcerned with the final sanction of possibly losing a driver’s licence, and therefore that ever-increasing numbers of offenders continue to drive and thereby escape any punishment? (3) Is the present fines enforcement system working to the satisfaction of the Attorney General? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(3) I think the answer to the last question is that we can always do a lot better when it comes to implementing the scheme that was brought about by the Liberal government back in the mid-1990s, when the fines enforcement regime, as it is currently in place, was introduced by, if I remember correctly, my very good friend Cheryl Edwardes when she was Attorney General. We are always looking at ways in which that matter can be improved, and we have taken some initiatives. I think the member has alluded to some hardcore offenders who seemingly thumb their noses at the law when it comes to their obligation to pay fines and things of that nature. We have established within the Sheriff’s Office a task force to target those hardcore offenders and to look at issues such as getting an order attached to their social security payments to make sure that they pay those fines by means of a regular deduction. Often these people, as the member would be aware, do not have property that is capable of being seized to satisfy the debts that are outstanding. Mr C.C. Porter : Has that ever happened? Has a social security payment ever been garnisheed in this jurisdiction? Mr J.A. McGINTY : There have certainly been orders attached to it for direct payment in a very — Mr C.C. Porter : Has it ever happened? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Yes, in a very large number of cases. I have written to the commonwealth minister responsible for this area and requested that the commonwealth enter into a cooperative arrangement with the state government to enable state courts to directly issue orders garnisheeing the social security payments of offenders who are unlikely to pay their fines as a means of actually extracting those fines, rather than looking at alternatives to payment. That is a matter that I have discussed with the commonwealth—I have written to it—and it is something that I am hopeful of getting a favourable response to, because I do not think anyone should be able to avoid their obligations to pay their fines. Mr C.C. Porter : But you say that is already happening now. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Having deductions made from social security payments—to a very significant degree, yes.
(2) Is it also true that increasing numbers of offenders appear completely unconcerned with the final sanction of possibly losing a driver’s licence, and therefore that ever-increasing numbers of offenders continue to drive and thereby escape any punishment? (3) Is the present fines enforcement system working to the satisfaction of the Attorney General? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(3) I think the answer to the last question is that we can always do a lot better when it comes to implementing the scheme that was brought about by the Liberal government back in the mid-1990s, when the fines enforcement regime, as it is currently in place, was introduced by, if I remember correctly, my very good friend Cheryl Edwardes when she was Attorney General. We are always looking at ways in which that matter can be improved, and we have taken some initiatives. I think the member has alluded to some hardcore offenders who seemingly thumb their noses at the law when it comes to their obligation to pay fines and things of that nature. We have established within the Sheriff’s Office a task force to target those hardcore offenders and to look at issues such as getting an order attached to their social security payments to make sure that they pay those fines by means of a regular deduction. Often these people, as the member would be aware, do not have property that is capable of being seized to satisfy the debts that are outstanding. Mr C.C. Porter : Has that ever happened? Has a social security payment ever been garnisheed in this jurisdiction? Mr J.A. McGINTY : There have certainly been orders attached to it for direct payment in a very — Mr C.C. Porter : Has it ever happened? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Yes, in a very large number of cases. I have written to the commonwealth minister responsible for this area and requested that the commonwealth enter into a cooperative arrangement with the state government to enable state courts to directly issue orders garnisheeing the social security payments of offenders who are unlikely to pay their fines as a means of actually extracting those fines, rather than looking at alternatives to payment. That is a matter that I have discussed with the commonwealth—I have written to it—and it is something that I am hopeful of getting a favourable response to, because I do not think anyone should be able to avoid their obligations to pay their fines. Mr C.C. Porter : But you say that is already happening now. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Having deductions made from social security payments—to a very significant degree, yes.
(3) Is the present fines enforcement system working to the satisfaction of the Attorney General? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(3) I think the answer to the last question is that we can always do a lot better when it comes to implementing the scheme that was brought about by the Liberal government back in the mid-1990s, when the fines enforcement regime, as it is currently in place, was introduced by, if I remember correctly, my very good friend Cheryl Edwardes when she was Attorney General. We are always looking at ways in which that matter can be improved, and we have taken some initiatives. I think the member has alluded to some hardcore offenders who seemingly thumb their noses at the law when it comes to their obligation to pay fines and things of that nature. We have established within the Sheriff’s Office a task force to target those hardcore offenders and to look at issues such as getting an order attached to their social security payments to make sure that they pay those fines by means of a regular deduction. Often these people, as the member would be aware, do not have property that is capable of being seized to satisfy the debts that are outstanding. Mr C.C. Porter : Has that ever happened? Has a social security payment ever been garnisheed in this jurisdiction? Mr J.A. McGINTY : There have certainly been orders attached to it for direct payment in a very — Mr C.C. Porter : Has it ever happened? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Yes, in a very large number of cases. I have written to the commonwealth minister responsible for this area and requested that the commonwealth enter into a cooperative arrangement with the state government to enable state courts to directly issue orders garnisheeing the social security payments of offenders who are unlikely to pay their fines as a means of actually extracting those fines, rather than looking at alternatives to payment. That is a matter that I have discussed with the commonwealth—I have written to it—and it is something that I am hopeful of getting a favourable response to, because I do not think anyone should be able to avoid their obligations to pay their fines. Mr C.C. Porter : But you say that is already happening now. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Having deductions made from social security payments—to a very significant degree, yes.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(3) I think the answer to the last question is that we can always do a lot better when it comes to implementing the scheme that was brought about by the Liberal government back in the mid-1990s, when the fines enforcement regime, as it is currently in place, was introduced by, if I remember correctly, my very good friend Cheryl Edwardes when she was Attorney General. We are always looking at ways in which that matter can be improved, and we have taken some initiatives. I think the member has alluded to some hardcore offenders who seemingly thumb their noses at the law when it comes to their obligation to pay fines and things of that nature. We have established within the Sheriff’s Office a task force to target those hardcore offenders and to look at issues such as getting an order attached to their social security payments to make sure that they pay those fines by means of a regular deduction. Often these people, as the member would be aware, do not have property that is capable of being seized to satisfy the debts that are outstanding. Mr C.C. Porter : Has that ever happened? Has a social security payment ever been garnisheed in this jurisdiction? Mr J.A. McGINTY : There have certainly been orders attached to it for direct payment in a very — Mr C.C. Porter : Has it ever happened? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Yes, in a very large number of cases. I have written to the commonwealth minister responsible for this area and requested that the commonwealth enter into a cooperative arrangement with the state government to enable state courts to directly issue orders garnisheeing the social security payments of offenders who are unlikely to pay their fines as a means of actually extracting those fines, rather than looking at alternatives to payment. That is a matter that I have discussed with the commonwealth—I have written to it—and it is something that I am hopeful of getting a favourable response to, because I do not think anyone should be able to avoid their obligations to pay their fines. Mr C.C. Porter : But you say that is already happening now. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Having deductions made from social security payments—to a very significant degree, yes.
(1)-(3) I think the answer to the last question is that we can always do a lot better when it comes to implementing the scheme that was brought about by the Liberal government back in the mid-1990s, when the fines enforcement regime, as it is currently in place, was introduced by, if I remember correctly, my very good friend Cheryl Edwardes when she was Attorney General. We are always looking at ways in which that matter can be improved, and we have taken some initiatives. I think the member has alluded to some hardcore offenders who seemingly thumb their noses at the law when it comes to their obligation to pay fines and things of that nature. We have established within the Sheriff’s Office a task force to target those hardcore offenders and to look at issues such as getting an order attached to their social security payments to make sure that they pay those fines by means of a regular deduction. Often these people, as the member would be aware, do not have property that is capable of being seized to satisfy the debts that are outstanding. Mr C.C. Porter : Has that ever happened? Has a social security payment ever been garnisheed in this jurisdiction? Mr J.A. McGINTY : There have certainly been orders attached to it for direct payment in a very — Mr C.C. Porter : Has it ever happened? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Yes, in a very large number of cases. I have written to the commonwealth minister responsible for this area and requested that the commonwealth enter into a cooperative arrangement with the state government to enable state courts to directly issue orders garnisheeing the social security payments of offenders who are unlikely to pay their fines as a means of actually extracting those fines, rather than looking at alternatives to payment. That is a matter that I have discussed with the commonwealth—I have written to it—and it is something that I am hopeful of getting a favourable response to, because I do not think anyone should be able to avoid their obligations to pay their fines. Mr C.C. Porter : But you say that is already happening now. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Having deductions made from social security payments—to a very significant degree, yes.
Mr C.C. Porter : Has that ever happened? Has a social security payment ever been garnisheed in this jurisdiction? Mr J.A. McGINTY : There have certainly been orders attached to it for direct payment in a very — Mr C.C. Porter : Has it ever happened? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Yes, in a very large number of cases. I have written to the commonwealth minister responsible for this area and requested that the commonwealth enter into a cooperative arrangement with the state government to enable state courts to directly issue orders garnisheeing the social security payments of offenders who are unlikely to pay their fines as a means of actually extracting those fines, rather than looking at alternatives to payment. That is a matter that I have discussed with the commonwealth—I have written to it—and it is something that I am hopeful of getting a favourable response to, because I do not think anyone should be able to avoid their obligations to pay their fines. Mr C.C. Porter : But you say that is already happening now. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Having deductions made from social security payments—to a very significant degree, yes.
Mr J.A. McGINTY : There have certainly been orders attached to it for direct payment in a very — Mr C.C. Porter : Has it ever happened? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Yes, in a very large number of cases. I have written to the commonwealth minister responsible for this area and requested that the commonwealth enter into a cooperative arrangement with the state government to enable state courts to directly issue orders garnisheeing the social security payments of offenders who are unlikely to pay their fines as a means of actually extracting those fines, rather than looking at alternatives to payment. That is a matter that I have discussed with the commonwealth—I have written to it—and it is something that I am hopeful of getting a favourable response to, because I do not think anyone should be able to avoid their obligations to pay their fines. Mr C.C. Porter : But you say that is already happening now. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Having deductions made from social security payments—to a very significant degree, yes.
Mr C.C. Porter : Has it ever happened? Mr J.A. McGINTY : Yes, in a very large number of cases. I have written to the commonwealth minister responsible for this area and requested that the commonwealth enter into a cooperative arrangement with the state government to enable state courts to directly issue orders garnisheeing the social security payments of offenders who are unlikely to pay their fines as a means of actually extracting those fines, rather than looking at alternatives to payment. That is a matter that I have discussed with the commonwealth—I have written to it—and it is something that I am hopeful of getting a favourable response to, because I do not think anyone should be able to avoid their obligations to pay their fines. Mr C.C. Porter : But you say that is already happening now. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Having deductions made from social security payments—to a very significant degree, yes.
Mr J.A. McGINTY : Yes, in a very large number of cases. I have written to the commonwealth minister responsible for this area and requested that the commonwealth enter into a cooperative arrangement with the state government to enable state courts to directly issue orders garnisheeing the social security payments of offenders who are unlikely to pay their fines as a means of actually extracting those fines, rather than looking at alternatives to payment. That is a matter that I have discussed with the commonwealth—I have written to it—and it is something that I am hopeful of getting a favourable response to, because I do not think anyone should be able to avoid their obligations to pay their fines. Mr C.C. Porter : But you say that is already happening now. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Having deductions made from social security payments—to a very significant degree, yes.
Mr C.C. Porter : But you say that is already happening now. Mr J.A. McGINTY : Having deductions made from social security payments—to a very significant degree, yes.
Mr J.A. McGINTY : Having deductions made from social security payments—to a very significant degree, yes.
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