October 14, 2024 • 4 mins
Over in Australia, there's growing calls to base speeding fines on the offending driver's individual income.
A new report by think tank The Australia Institute claims flat-rate traffic penalties for speeders are 'unfair' amid the current cost-of-living crisis.
Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says this might bring down the death toll on Australian roads - but other solutions should be considered.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Olli Peterson six pr Perth Life Presents with us Oli.
Hello are you there, Ollie?
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (00:07):
I got a load and clear? Can you me?
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (00:09):
I can hear you now, good to hear your dulcet tones.
They may listen. So the calls for these speeding finds
to be based on income, right, this is not new.
What's brought it up now?
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Well, you know we're the nation of a fair go header,
you know' that's what Australia is all about. And the
thing called the Australia Institute, which is a left wing
think tank, has decided that it's just not fair that,
you know, two hundred bucks to a low income earner
who might be on the doll having to fork that
out because they've broken a speeding law versus the billionaire who,
you know, two hundred bucks might just be a drop
(00:40):
in the ocean. They're looking towards. I think it's Finland,
where there was recently a bloke who was fined two
hundred thousand dollars for going thirty k's above the speed
limit because he was driving his very fast European manufactured
car and he obviously didn't care. But they're indicating that
this is you know, we'll start to provide a bit
more of an equitable situation, might start to bring down
(01:01):
the road till I'm not so sure. I'm not saying
don't do it, but I just think that there's probably
other ways to try and bring down the road tile
than pegging the fine to somebody's so somebody's wealth.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Do you not have a system like we have here
where we get a phone, but we also get demerit
points and when you rack up a certain number of
demerit points, you lose your license.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Yeah, correct, we have the same system. But in Wa
obviously where I live these days, I think they're really
quite generous, where basically, if the speed limits sixty ks
an hour, you can travel at seventy k's an hour
before the demerits start kicking in. So naturally everybody drives
at seventy ks an hour because they're risking a hundred
dollar fine. Whereas if you live in Sydney or Melbourne,
(01:41):
if you're caught doing say sixty three and a sixty zone,
demerits start kicking in. So I'd look at it that way,
But yeah, you get twelve demerits and then all of
a sudden, if you don't have it.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
You don't feel disincentive, right, I mean, you've got a billionaire,
and they often I know people who do this because
they're so low they don't really care about what the
costs of breaking the law when they face the possibility
of losing their license, like every single one of us.
That's the equalizer, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Of course, absolutely, and maybe that's it. You know, we
have double demerit weekends obviously around holidays and the like,
so the chances, you know, losing two points might go
to four. Maybe you need that permanently because the risk,
as you save, losing your license is more severe than
perhaps the fin.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
Yes, exactly. Hey, has NAB got a problem with drinking? Well,
they reckon, they do.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
They're quite a you know, they've still got that interesting
culture which look a lot of companies do where they
have midweek drinks and you know, after work drinks when
deals have gone through and know a few beers are
open in the office. So look, they're calling on a
booze band and they want to organize this by Christmas.
And they're not the only bank to do it coming
with bank does I think the A and Z Bank
does it here as well, I mean, look, there's two
sides to this right. One, it's obviously a cost saving
(02:44):
exercise from the companies if they're going to be putting
on drinks for staff regularly. But two, they're saying that, yes,
it's created some antisocial behavior and obviously some human resources
issues amongst colleagues because grog's in, truth's out and who
knows what else is out that that stuff. So look,
it's funny, isn't it. I was reflecting on it at
our company this year. We've gone from the trend of
(03:05):
having it, you know, a Friday or Saturday night Christmas
party to a Thursday night Christmas party And a lot
of people in the office say, well, that's just an
Australian heather because you can't go out and have a
good night and they're going to rock up to work
the next day or we're all taking a you know,
an RDO on the Friday. But I know one again,
it's bringing costs down, isn't it, from the company's point
of view, and they want us to turn up to
work on a Friday.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Yeah, I think there's some benefit in actually having a
tipple with your colleagues, and I think we're losing it.
But anyway, what if are too busy to care anyway?
You know what do you know what I mean, Ollie,
Like when you've got little kids, you're like you go
out and booze everybody else. I'm just yeah, I'm planning
to wake up tomorrow start.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Correct, and I'll be waking up at five o'clock tomorrow morning,
regardless if I have one beer or five beers or
five hundred beers.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Because he's still waking up at am. Hey listen, so
Scomo's got himself another job as he's joining the space race.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Yeah, that's right. It's called Space Australia, I think is
the name of the organization or Space Center Australia who
are ambitiously trying to launch rockets out of Cape York
in Northern Queensland. Look, I'm not trying to sound pessimistic,
but I would be very surprised if they ever launch
a rocket out of Cape York in far North Queensland.
Maybe you know the timing of the announcement as well,
(04:18):
when we were just talking about Elon Musk in the
world wise and those pictures are spectacular catching that rocket.
I know Australia wants to be involved in the space
race and I think that's fantastic. But you know, launching
rockets out of Australia is one thing I think it's
a little bit pigh in the sky, being well, you
never know, you.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Could catch up. We're doing it already, so maybe you
can join us. Hey, Ollie, thank you, look after your
Oliver Peterson six PR Perth Live Presenter. For more from
Heather Duplessy Allen Drave. Listen live to News Talk said
Be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
Olli Peterson six pr Perth Life Presents with us Oli.
Hello are you there, Ollie?
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (00:07):
I got a load and clear? Can you me?
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (00:09):
I can hear you now, good to hear your dulcet tones.
They may listen. So the calls for these speeding finds
to be based on income, right, this is not new.
What's brought it up now?
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Well, you know we're the nation of a fair go header,
you know' that's what Australia is all about. And the
thing called the Australia Institute, which is a left wing
think tank, has decided that it's just not fair that,
you know, two hundred bucks to a low income earner
who might be on the doll having to fork that
out because they've broken a speeding law versus the billionaire who,
you know, two hundred bucks might just be a drop
(00:40):
in the ocean. They're looking towards. I think it's Finland,
where there was recently a bloke who was fined two
hundred thousand dollars for going thirty k's above the speed
limit because he was driving his very fast European manufactured
car and he obviously didn't care. But they're indicating that
this is you know, we'll start to provide a bit
more of an equitable situation, might start to bring down
(01:01):
the road till I'm not so sure. I'm not saying
don't do it, but I just think that there's probably
other ways to try and bring down the road tile
than pegging the fine to somebody's so somebody's wealth.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Do you not have a system like we have here
where we get a phone, but we also get demerit
points and when you rack up a certain number of
demerit points, you lose your license.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Yeah, correct, we have the same system. But in Wa
obviously where I live these days, I think they're really
quite generous, where basically, if the speed limits sixty ks
an hour, you can travel at seventy k's an hour
before the demerits start kicking in. So naturally everybody drives
at seventy ks an hour because they're risking a hundred
dollar fine. Whereas if you live in Sydney or Melbourne,
(01:41):
if you're caught doing say sixty three and a sixty zone,
demerits start kicking in. So I'd look at it that way,
But yeah, you get twelve demerits and then all of
a sudden, if you don't have it.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
You don't feel disincentive, right, I mean, you've got a billionaire,
and they often I know people who do this because
they're so low they don't really care about what the
costs of breaking the law when they face the possibility
of losing their license, like every single one of us.
That's the equalizer, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Of course, absolutely, and maybe that's it. You know, we
have double demerit weekends obviously around holidays and the like,
so the chances, you know, losing two points might go
to four. Maybe you need that permanently because the risk,
as you save, losing your license is more severe than
perhaps the fin.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
Yes, exactly. Hey, has NAB got a problem with drinking? Well,
they reckon, they do.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
They're quite a you know, they've still got that interesting
culture which look a lot of companies do where they
have midweek drinks and you know, after work drinks when
deals have gone through and know a few beers are
open in the office. So look, they're calling on a
booze band and they want to organize this by Christmas.
And they're not the only bank to do it coming
with bank does I think the A and Z Bank
does it here as well, I mean, look, there's two
sides to this right. One, it's obviously a cost saving
(02:44):
exercise from the companies if they're going to be putting
on drinks for staff regularly. But two, they're saying that, yes,
it's created some antisocial behavior and obviously some human resources
issues amongst colleagues because grog's in, truth's out and who
knows what else is out that that stuff. So look,
it's funny, isn't it. I was reflecting on it at
our company this year. We've gone from the trend of
(03:05):
having it, you know, a Friday or Saturday night Christmas
party to a Thursday night Christmas party And a lot
of people in the office say, well, that's just an
Australian heather because you can't go out and have a
good night and they're going to rock up to work
the next day or we're all taking a you know,
an RDO on the Friday. But I know one again,
it's bringing costs down, isn't it, from the company's point
of view, and they want us to turn up to
work on a Friday.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Yeah, I think there's some benefit in actually having a
tipple with your colleagues, and I think we're losing it.
But anyway, what if are too busy to care anyway?
You know what do you know what I mean, Ollie,
Like when you've got little kids, you're like you go
out and booze everybody else. I'm just yeah, I'm planning
to wake up tomorrow start.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Correct, and I'll be waking up at five o'clock tomorrow morning,
regardless if I have one beer or five beers or
five hundred beers.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Because he's still waking up at am. Hey listen, so
Scomo's got himself another job as he's joining the space race.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Yeah, that's right. It's called Space Australia, I think is
the name of the organization or Space Center Australia who
are ambitiously trying to launch rockets out of Cape York
in Northern Queensland. Look, I'm not trying to sound pessimistic,
but I would be very surprised if they ever launch
a rocket out of Cape York in far North Queensland.
Maybe you know the timing of the announcement as well,
(04:18):
when we were just talking about Elon Musk in the
world wise and those pictures are spectacular catching that rocket.
I know Australia wants to be involved in the space
race and I think that's fantastic. But you know, launching
rockets out of Australia is one thing I think it's
a little bit pigh in the sky, being well, you
never know, you.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Could catch up. We're doing it already, so maybe you
can join us. Hey, Ollie, thank you, look after your
Oliver Peterson six PR Perth Live Presenter. For more from
Heather Duplessy Allen Drave. Listen live to News Talk said
Be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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