Confiscated Car Club' enlists 324 members

Courts Minister Rick Barker today announced that the 'Confiscated Car Club' campaign launched in mid-February seized 324 cars from fines defaulters and a total of $10.18 million was paid in full or placed under time to pay arrangement.

"I'm pleased that over a third of those whose cars were seized paid their fines in full and the remainder have made an involuntary payment toward reducing their fines with the sale of their cars'.

' The Confiscated Car Club campaign, along with four weeks of intensive enforcement throughout New Zealand has been very effective. It's clear that fines defaulters and the community at large heard and understood the message that this government considers avoiding fines unacceptable', said Mr Barker.

When the campaign featured on the youth TV news programme 'Flipside', 454 calls were received on the 0800 number, along with some 250 emails to www.fines.govt.nz, in the one-hour period between 6 and 7pm. March and April also saw the highest ever amounts collected through the Ministry's fines website, Fines Online, of $129,000 and $147,000 respectively.

The Courts Minister says the young men from 20 to 30 years who were the specific target of the advertising campaign, were well-represented in the group against who warrants to seize were actioned.

" The Confiscated Car Club has also provided staff with good ideas on how to make the fines collection campaign even better next time round.

" The end of this campaign doesn't mean fine defaulters can sleep easy, collections is always out there enforcing the payment of fines.

"Getting the level of unpaid fines down means constant, steady work. This campaign boost the level of awareness, but the Unit's ongoing enforcement activities and steady pressure on defaulters means everyone has to face up to their responsibilities and pay their fines," he said.

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>