Failing to vote fine brings licence sting

GYMPIE man Ben Hall was close to losing his licence in Gympie Magistrates Court recently, all because he didn’t vote and didn’t know it.

UNFAIR: Ben Hall was unaware he was unlicensed when an unpaid voting fine was sent to SPER. Picture: Renee Albrecht

GYMPIE man Ben Hall was close to losing his licence in Gympie Magistrates Court recently, all because he didn't vote and didn't know it.

The father of six, who has a clean traffic history, got the shock of his life when a police officer approached him in his car in Mary St and told him he was driving unlicensed and could not drive home.

He was even more surprised when he was told he had been driving unlicensed since November last year.

Mr Hall and his wife moved to Gympie three years ago from New England, New South Wales.

Commuting between towns they did not change enrolment details, but when Mr Hall gave his Gympie address to Centrelink, his enrolment details were transferred to Gympie without notice.

Mr Hall, who sent an absentee vote for the New South Wales election, did not realise he had to vote in last year's Queensland election.

Little did he know the unpaid fail-to-vote fine turned into an unpaid SPER fine, which turned into a licence disqualification, all without notification.

"That's what made me irate. I was driving around uninsured with three kids in the car," Mr Hall said.

"It is wrong.If they're going to cancel a licence they should send a registered letter."

But he does not blame the police or the court - he blames the law.

"I'll be burning the ears of the politicians over this," he said.

"The system's not right, but it's the politicians putting it together."

The whole process has cost him $882 and months of wondering if he was going to lose his licence. Finally the charges were amended. But there have been many going through Gympie Magistrate Courts for the same reason who have not been so lucky.