Chadwick Steve: Land Transport Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Chadwick Steve: Land Transport Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:629;Page:1241] 
STEVE CHADWICK (Labour—Rotorua) 
: 
 We know that the proposed amendment in the bill is not simple. It is not a black and white issue at all. But it does remedy an anomaly that became very apparent to many constituent MPs over the Christmas period when some of those who had been driving buses or taxis—some for 40 years as in a case in my electorate—lost their ability to work. I found this particularly difficult when those people had to come to see me as a woman MP to admit to a minor indiscretion they committed in their youth. Also sweating profoundly they had to admit this to their wives whom they had not told. They then had to be prepared to stand up and go through a process that was very embarrassing for them. 
I entreated the Minister to intervene in a couple of cases in my electorate but he had no powers in the current Act to do so. Then we found through the legal advisers in the town who saw those people that they had no appeal process. So they had to face the consequences of having to live with their wives after admitting to an indiscretion—and we have all had them—from their youth. Then what is worse they lost the right to drive and at 60 they found that they could no longer earn an income. One constituent from my electorate committed an offence in 1974. He undertook a period of 6 months’ periodic detention. He sought legal advice for clarity but when the lawyer phoned Land Transport to find out whether he was in the grey zone the black zone or the white zone he did not get clarity. I hope that the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee can get this right now. 
One further constituent who admitted a minor sexual offence did contact Land Transport and was told that there was no record of his offending at all. So his lawyer then advised him that perhaps he should not go for a P endorsement because he had admitted—hand across heart—that he had committed one of those offences of a minor sexual nature. So he also had to write to his bosses and to admit the offence to his wife and he lost his job. 
It is simply the lack of an appeal process or a lack of clarity around the reinstatement option that is of concern to us. That is especially so for those breaches of a minor sexual nature. None of us in the House would argue or take issue with the workings of a very good select committee and the fact that it got it wrong. But it is wrong in terms of the law when there is no appeal process or no right to get reinstatement considered. This bill remedies that. I think it is great for Parliament to say that it got one aspect wrong. It has had some unintended consequences but this Government will have a look at it will try to clarify it and will get it fixed up. It is fantastic for the voices to be heard of those brave people who made entreaties to their MPs who admitted a breach of a minor nature many years ago and who were quite prepared to go through an appeal process in order to get their licences reinstated. They were quite prepared to go to the courts over this issue because they themselves said that it was in the public interest and as Mr Williamson said the interests of public safety are paramount. 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: But the courts have let some bad people through. 
STEVE CHADWICK 
: That is right. I know that the select committee has problems ahead in sorting it out. 
Children and women must be safe and I am the first to say that for women in the country—[ 
Interruption 
] And men. The industry itself agrees that its reputation cannot be tarnished and it needs to know that those whom it employs are safe too. It will be the responsibility of the select committee to consider the offences on a relative scale of harm. Lawyers struggled with the lack of an appeal process in the current Act and I wish the select committee all the best. We have heard about the criteria; I am sure they will be an issue of some concern to the committee. 
I am very pleased that this Government is prepared to take another look at this and try to get it right. I support this bill.