MP: Rego system ‘out of control’ Parties still talking over coalition ‘issues’

An Auckland vehicle owner received 58 fines in one year for failing to display a current registration – at an estimated cost of

$11,600.

The annual vehicle licensing has been labelled a ‘‘giant revenue gathering device’’ as figures are released on the number of tickets issued.

Labour MP Phil Twyford said the system was out of control with

235,000 fines issued each year.

‘‘I think most people think there must be a good reason for it, it’s about safety or whatever, but no – it’s just about revenue gathering.’’

Twyford said the system cost taxpayers $58 million to administer. The money could easily be paid with warrant of fitness charges or by an increase in fuel tax, saving the administration cost. ‘‘It’s time to look at the whole system and consider whether or not we need at all to be requiring people to update their licence, and forgo a big wad of cash every year.’’

An official information request showed police handed out about

124,000 tickets in 2016, with all the money collected going to the Crown.

Auckland parking wardens also handed out about 58,000 such tickets over a similar period, at a face value of $11.6m – and the council kept half of what was collected.

This included a single vehicle with 58 infringement notices, at

$200 each, for failing to display an up-to-date registration.

The Ministry of Transport does not hold figures on the number of tickets issued nationally but a 2012 government review revealed that each year motorists are dished out

235,000 tickets across the country. Automobile Association (AA) spokesman Mark Stockdale said motorists who moved house might miss their reminder to re-licence their vehicle. Filling out a change of address form with NZ Post notified lots of organisation but not NZTA, he said.

The AA also thought the agency should be able to email or text reminders. People got really annoyed at a $200 fine when they did not deliberately flout the law, Stockdale said.

‘‘People don’t necessarily check their label in their windscreen.

‘‘How often do you do that? It’s our responsibility, but it’s not necessarily something people actually check. We need a reminder.’’

Salvation Army community finance co-ordinator Jodi Hoare said the majority of people she helped had fines they were paying off. A large percentage of these were due to not having a current warrant of fitness or registration, she said.

‘‘It’s a chicken and egg thing. Because if your car’s not warranted they can’t register it. So then they get fined for both.’’

Beneficiaries with fines often had $20 to $40 redirected out of their benefit before they received it, Hoare said.

‘‘When your total income is maybe $500 and half of that is going on rent, $20 going here or there is a big deal.’’

A Ministry of Transport spokesman said the fines were effective in making sure people paid their registration.

‘‘Removing the infringement fee would create a risk that some people may try to avoid a late payment fee by simply not licensing their vehicles at all.’’

The cost to register a car for a year is currently between $77 and

$208, depending on the vehicle’s ACC vehicle risk rating.

‘‘The vehicle licensing system has a number of purposes, including a road safety purpose, which involves keeping the motor vehicle register up to date,’’ he said.

The Ministry of Transport and the NZ Transport Agency led a vehicle licensing reform review in

2012.

In its wake, changes were made to the warrant of fitness and certificate of fitness – but not to annual vehicle licensing.

This was because the costs to implement them could not be justified.

Most people paid their licensing fees but many were slow to pay on time, the review found.

Suggested changes included text and email reminders, late payment fees and ‘‘better targeted’’ penalties.

A ministry fact sheet at the time said ‘‘annual vehicle licensing is mostly for revenue collection’’. Negotiations to form a government ‘‘are certainly still ongoing’’ with NZ First, National Party leader Bill English said yesterday.

National and NZ First had exchanged letters over the weekend, he said.

NZ First leader Winston Peters originally set a deadline of last Thursday for his party to reveal which of National or Labour it would to support in forming a government.

That deadline has been and gone and English said: ‘‘There’s still issues relating to the formation of government that need to be discussed.’’ Both English and Peters hinted at a longer wait than expected.

On Thursday, Peters said the country would have an answer by the end of this week at the latest but all signs were pointing to a decision early in the week.

The NZ First board examination of options for an agreement was ‘‘not going to be focused on completed agreements’’, English said.

Ministerial roles had not yet been discussed and National did not have a deal to take to its own board, English said.

The lack of discussion over ministerial roles should not be taken as any indication about what form of agreement was being discussed, he said.

Ministerial positions could be decided quite quickly, English said.

‘‘The focus of the discussions so far has been purely on policy,’’ English said.

‘‘Matters such as ministerial positions or the nature of a coalition agreement have yet to be discussed,’’ he said.

‘‘It’s quite important people understand the discussion NZ First are having today is another step in the process but it’s by no means the final step in actually agreeing a government.’’

There would have to be discussions about what jobs NZ First might fill if a government was to be formed, English said. He expected that to happen ‘‘before too long’’.

Peters was confident there would be a new government before the end of the week.

‘‘I wouldn’t want to guess what that timetable would be,’’ English said.

But he said he would like an answer sooner rather than later.

Peters said: ‘‘I said we’d have an agreement by the end of this week. I’m certainly going to be much earlier than that but I don’t want to put a time on it.

‘‘I’ve never had a decision to make like this, in the context of the potential positive side of it.’’

NZ First had talked ‘‘reasonably extensively’’ to both National and Labour during the weekend.

Party board member Sue Sara did not answer media questions when she arrived at Wellington Airport ahead of yesterday’s meeting.

NZ First MP Shane Jones said yesterday was a good opportunity to meet with the board and caucus.

He would not comment on whether a full agreement was to have been taken to the board during the day.

Arriving at Wellington airport, NZ First MP Mark Patterson said the party had to get a ‘‘sound governing arrangement’’ but there was still some work to do.

''It's just about revenue gathering." Labour MP Phil Twyford

Branch killed jetboater

The man killed in a jetboating accident was Duayne Insley, 47, of Glenorchy in Otago. He died on Sunday on the Waimakariri River during the second day of the weeklong World Championship Jetboat Marathon. Insley, the navigator, and driver Dwayne Terry were navigating the braided part of the course when Insley was struck in the face by a branch hanging over the water. He died instantly.

Lego thieves caught

Two boys were caught stealing $600 worth of Lego in Gore last week. Sergeant Clint Wright said police were called to The Warehouse on Friday after a 12-year-old Gore boy and a 15-year-old Invercargill boy were caught shoplifting. ‘‘Inquiries revealed these offenders had been in every day that week and had stolen approximately $600 worth of property,’’ Wright said. Lego was the target, he said. Both boys were referred to Youth Aid.

Pedestrian dies

A woman who was hit by a car in O¯ taki on Saturday has died of her injuries. Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Sheridan said the woman, who was hit on State Highway 1, died in Palmerston North Hospital on Sunday morning.

Long flight delay

Air NZ passengers booked on an Auckland-bound flight from Sydney say they waited nearly 24 hours for their flight to take off. Flight NZ108 was scheduled to depart at 6.55pm on Sunday night (8.55pm NZ time) and was airborne at 2.30pm (4.30pm NZ time) on Monday. Passengers were told their flight was delayed due to ‘‘operational requirements’’, despite other Air NZ flights departing as scheduled. It is understood passengers were put up in a hotel overnight as Sydney Airport has a curfew between 11pm and 6am. Passengers have posted messages on social media to express their frustration over the delays.