Alex White (Labour)

I support what Senator Norris has said, which raises a much wider debate about the overuse of jail sentences in respect of non-payment of fines across a range of different breaches. Senator Norris is right. For someone to be sent to jail for non-payment of a television licence fee offends against all sense of proportion and justice. There is no basis for it. It is the legacy of another era where we were able to apply only two types of sanctions, a fine or imprisonment. There are many more innovative ways now to deal with these sorts of breaches. It is indefensible. I support what Senator Norris has said. I hope either through this Bill or through the mechanism the Minister of State has suggested that his colleague proposes that it can be addressed and for once and for all we do not have an obscene — not too strong a word to describe it — situation where somebody is put into prison for not paying for a television licence.