Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

So we have a person facing a 30-penalty unit fine because, outside the court procedures, the secretary has requested what is called ‘reasonable assistance’ from that person and, as the secretary sees it, that person has failed to give that ‘reasonable assistance’. So we have a system that is outside the rule of law and outside the courts and outside the Australian system of presenting an opportunity for a person to either put their case—and plead one way or another and be represented—or appeal. This is summary justice by ministerially appointed officials. Surely that cannot be.